The Song of the Mockingjay
by Galexz
Summary: Katniss Everdeen loves the woods. She loves her father. Her life is just fine the way it is. Then she meets Gale. She doesn't like Gale. Now she has to learn to share these things. This is the story of Gale and Katniss if their fathers hadn't died in the mines. AU. Slow building Gale/Katniss.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hello brand new fandom! I know, a bit late to the party, but better late than never I guess. Anyways, this is my first Hunger Games story, so if there characters are too far off, than please let me know. I'll try to make adjustments to keep them going in the right direction. Just remember that this is an AU, so I am going to play with some of their characteristics since I am messing with their backgrounds as well.

Please enjoy!

PS: I have no beta. If anyone would like to help out or could suggest someone, I am all ears!

 **Dislcaimer:** The Hunger Games and all the characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

* * *

 **The Song of the Mockingjay - Chapter 1**

* * *

Katniss Everdeen stared out over the clear water of the lake. It was beautiful summer day. It was early enough that the humidity hadn't settled it making the day was pleasantly warm. She dangled her feet in the water of the lake as she sat on a large rock. Her father, John Everdeen, was fishing. He said he wanted to catch enough for dinner and to sell. Fish isn't something that you get often in District 12, so it goes for a higher price than the three rabbits they had caught earlier in the day.

It was getting late in the day, and she knew that they would have to leave soon. It was a long walk from their lake back to the fence, but she had gotten good at it. The first time her father had brought her here she had to be carried part of the way. That had been almost a year ago. She was eight now and had a bit more muscle on her. Running around the forest would do that.

"Come on Katniss." Her father called out. "We should be heading home."

"Alright." Katniss said, standing and pulling on her boots.

"Grab some plants before we go." He said, pulling up all the fishing lines. "Your mom loves katniss root with fish."

Katniss nodded and began hunting around the edge of the lake. The Katniss plant, for which she was named, was fairly abundant in the area. It was tall with arrow shaped leaves and pretty white flowers. She picked the flowers, saving them for her mother and dug out the bulbous edible roots that grew in the mud around the lake.

When she had an armful, she ran back to her father. "Is that good?" She asked. He nodded and put them into his game bag.

"You're getting good at finding them." He said. She beamed. Over the last year her father had been teaching her all about edible plants and where to find them. It was hard to remember, but he often would make songs about them. Katniss could remember _anything_ if it was sung to her.

She wondered if that was because of the beat or because she loved listening to her father sing.

Her father had such a beautiful voice. It was so lovely that even the birds stopped to listen when he sung. Every night, when he returned from the mines, Katniss and her sister Prim demanded a song before bed. They refused to go to sleep without one, even if he was coming home late due to an extended shift. Prim often would still drift off, but Katniss would stay up. There was something soothing about knowing he would always be there to start her dreams with his songs.

Sometimes, she even heard him singing to her mom. Once she snuck out of bed and say them wrapped in each other by the fire, swaying softly to a song that her father was singing. It was the only time she ever saw her mother completely at ease.

They stopped by the small concrete cottage by the lake to pick up a few things and quench the fire before they left. The little house was their secret, just like the lake, and just like the path to get here. She knew other people hunted in the woods, but there were only a handful since it was so dangerous.

Some plants were dangerous to eat. Some animals were dangerous to touch. Some trees were dangerous to climb. Danger, danger, danger. Her father never let her forget that there were reasons that the district was separated from the woods.

But he also showed her all the beautiful things in the woods too. He got the birds singing. He found berries as sweet as her little sister. He found her meadows of wildflowers that she took home and braided into her mother's bright blonde hair.

She never did as good a job as her mother, but the woman never denied her messy attempts, rewarding her with a kiss and hug. Sometimes Katniss wanted to bring her mother out here, to show her all the pretty flowers and tasty berries, but she knew her mother wouldn't like it - not like she and her father did.

From her dark hair to grey eyes, Katniss was her father's daughter through and through - and she loved it that way. Prim, her younger sister was the spitting image of her mother with straight, golden hair and blue eyes. She was also quiet and shy where Katniss was often doing something that got her in trouble.

And almost every time she came home dirty and bruised from an adventure, her father would smile at her and say "That's my girl."

He said it was why he brought her to the forest. "You're just like me Katniss. You need some place to be free for a while."

And here she was free. There was no soot, no strict teachers, no stupid boys who pulled on her braid - just her and her father.

"Dad," Katniss said as they walked home through the forest. It would be mid afternoon when they got back which gave her mother plenty of time to cook the fish while they went and bartered the rest of the game. "Sing me a song?"

Her father smiled at her. "Only if you sing with me."

"Alright." She said, blushing. Her father said she sang as sweetly as he did, but she didn't believe him.

"What do you want to sing?" He asked.

Katniss thought about this for a moment. "The Trees in Winter." She said. It was one of her favorite, especially the simple tune that is easily echoed by the Mockingjays.

Her father laughed. "How did I know you were going to choose that one?" Katniss blushed but looked at him pointedly. He sighed, over dramatically, but started to sing anyways.

The trees in spring, they blossom and bloom

The trees in spring, they blossom and bloom

They smell so sweet and they look it too

They blossom and bloom and all too soon

The trees in spring have gone to ruin

My love is like the trees in spring

He makes me glow like a diamond ring

He makes my smile blossom and bloom

Shaking off my darkest gloom

My love is like the trees in spring.

The trees in summer, they grow so high

The trees in summer, they grow so high

Reaching out to towards the sun

They grow so high to touch the sky

The trees in summer, why do they try?

My love is like the trees in summer

He makes my heart beat like a drummer

He makes me stand so up so tall

That I can see above it all

My love is like the trees in summer

The trees in fall, they never stay

The trees in fall, they never stay

They catch the light and burn so bright

Then their colors fade and they slip away

The trees in fall they turn to gray

My love is like the trees in fall

He makes me want to give up my all

He makes me blush just like the rush

My love is like the trees in fall

The trees in winter, they rest their soul

The trees in winter, they rest their soul

They close their eyes against the world

Sleeping through the nights as dark as coal

The trees in winter, they rest their soul

My love is like the trees in winter

He makes my heart want to splinter

He makes me wait through the cold dark night

My love is like the trees in winter.

When he started, Katniss and the birds hushed to hear him sing, but by the second verse she had been unable to hold back her own voice and by the fourth the birds had joined in as well. Even after they stopped birds continued, sending the tune farther and farther out through the forest.

She couldn't keep the smile from her lips and the forest sang for her and she reached up for her father's hand. This, here with him and the woods full of song she was completely happy.

* * *

They dropped half the fish back at the house with the katniss roots and a few other edible herbs they had picked up at Katniss' mother's request. She wasn't running low but she liked to stay stocked up. Camille Everdeen was the closest thing that the Seam had to a doctor and she had to be ready a moment's notice.

Katniss was proud of her mother. She had seen her mother helping out a poor man with a broken leg. She heard the loud pop as her mother set the leg and bolted from the room, looking as green as the man did. Her mother however just soothed the man and gave him food and special herbs for the pain. Katniss couldn't do that, and somehow she thought that most people couldn't.

"Anything you need from the Hob Cami?" John asked as he kissed her cheek. Camille smiled at him as she looked at the two large fish and roots.

Camille shook her head. "No, but I will need a few things from town if you could swing by the shops afterwards."

"Of course. What do you need."

"A loaf of bread and some more bandages. I ran out this morning. One of Mrs. Klinnens kids was helping her cook and cut herself with a knife pretty bad. I stitched her up, but she ran through the bandages."

John kissed his wife again, the look on his face was as proud as Katniss' whenever her mother talked about her work. Not only was it a necessity for the Seam, but her mother refused to take one coin in payment. People would sometimes bring them food or other small items as payment, but her mother only accepted them if she knew her clients could afford to give them away.

Katniss leaned down to hug Prim, "Our parents are good people." She whispered into the toddler's downy hair. "Don't ever forget that."

"Let's go Katniss." Her father called. Katniss squeezed her sister one more time, kissed her mother's cheek and ran out the door behind her father.

The Hob was technically the black market of the District, but for many is was the only market they could afford. The Market in town sold many lovely things, but the only people who could shop there were the other people from town. Compared to the miners in the Seam, they lived in relative luxury. Katniss didn't hate them for this because while they had dresses and ribbons, she had freedom and the woods.

Most of the kids in town start working in their parents shops when they are young. The baker for example has three sons, the youngest, a blond haired blue eyed boy, was her age. She has seen him learning to work the counter with his brothers when she has come to trade squirrell with her father. Technically that was illegal, but the baker loved squirrell so much that he gave them a loaf anyways.

While the Market relied on coin, the Hob relied on goods and favors. This is where people came to get game, fur, herbs and many other things that were illegal, but necessary for basic survival in the seam - and some that was not so necessary. She had seen Haymitch Abernathy here often buying liquor. He stunk of it and often swayed on his feet. She didn't understand why he liked that stuff so much.

Her father and her barter the two fish for five coins a piece, an excellent price since the fish were fresh, then took their rabbits to the back. For two coins and a rabbit, her father got Katniss a new set of leather boots, since she had almost outgrown her last pair. They could sell her current pair off, but they kept most of her old clothes for Prim.

The other two rabbits they took to Greasy Sae's. Greasy Sae always bought meat for her stews and usually gave them a bowl for their troubles. Katniss liked Greasy Sae and she knew Greasy Sae liked her too. It was part of the reason that her father kept bringing Katniss to the Hob - he always got a better price for his meat when she was around.

"Sae." John said, sitting down. He placed the two jack rabbits on the counter. Greasy Sae picked them up and began to examine the rabbits. Katniss watched her intently, pushing up on her toes to see how she poked an proded the animals. She wanted to make sure she knew exactly what the old woman liked so they could keep the choice meats for her.

Greasy Sae caught her staring and winked. "Well, these two have a bit of meat on them. I could part with one coin a piece and a cup of stew."

Katniss snorted and Sae looked insulted. John just laughed, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Clearly Katniss thinks that's too low. Two coins and _two bowls_ of stew. We worked up a hunger getting those for you."

Sae bent over Katniss, staring her down. "You drive a hard bargain child." She snapped, but pulled out two coins and handed them to her father. "I'm only giving you the food because she's all skin an bones as it is." Sae put down two large, steaming bowls of stew down in front of them.

"I am not!" Katniss said, grabbing the food and shoveling the how soup into her mouth. It was a thin broth with cabbage and less meat than Katniss would have liked, but it filled her empty belly and warmed her as much as a hug from her father. She swallowed a chunk of meat. "I'm just growing."

"Too fast." John said. "She'll be as tall as you soon Sae."

Sae put her hands on her hips. "Are you calling me short John Everdeen?" She made a half hearted attempt to pull the bowl back, but John just smiled and scooted out of her way.

"I would never insult _you_ , Sae!" His voice was dripping with sweetness. Katniss knew he was teasing the woman. It was the same tone he took with her when they played at night.

"Yeah," Katniss said in the same voice. "He just thinks I am going to be really tall!"

"Exactly!" Her father said, pointing his spoon at her. "Katniss is going shoot up like a tree soon. I don't know if I'm ready for that!"

The three laughed before falling into an amicable silence. Katniss was so absorbed in her food that she didn't see the other two approaching the stand until they were on top of them.

Sae grunted a greeting and took the game they offered her.

"Racoon?" Greasy Sae said, pushing her salt and pepper locks out of her eyes. They were more salt now and less pepper, but that didn't mean she still didn't drive a mean bargain.

"I know it's your favorite." The man said. Katniss stared at the man and the boy over the edge of her bowl as she slurped up the last of the soup. The man was tall, and the boy, perhaps a few years older than her was probably going to be the same. It was clear that they were related. They had the same Seam grey eyes and tan skin, but their square jaws and defined cheeks certainly set them apart. She would have found them intimidating if not for the twinge of humor in curve of the boy's lips and deep creases around his father's eyes from years of laughter.

Greasy Sae gave a deep huff as she eyed the racoon critically. Katniss knew the game she played well enough by now, and clearly so did this new pair of hunters.

"It is a large one, but I just got in two rabbits. I don't know if I need the extra meat."

John Everdeen elbowed his daughter and sent her a smile. He knew that Greasy Sae never passed up meat, but enjoyed the shocked look on the boy's face.

"From who?" The boy said. Katniss raised an eyebrow. Did he seriously think he and his father were the only hunters in the District?

Greasy Sae pointed one finger over at the Everdeens with a smirk. The old woman had a mischievous streak a mile wide. Katniss would have to remember that. Her father waved brightly at the two of them making the boy frown as his eyes settled on her.

"John?" The man asked, laughing. "You hunt?"

John shrugged, shoving another spoonful of Greasy Sae's stew in his mouth before standing. "Yeah," He mumbled and swallowed. "The extra coin goes a long way and it's a chance to spend some time with my daughter." He placed a warm hand on her shoulder and Katniss beamed up at him.

The man raised an eyebrow. "You take your daughter out past the fence? Is that safe?"

"Now you sound like Cami." John grumbled. Camille Everdeen hadn't been thrilled at the idea of her eldest going into the forest but her father had convinced her mother that it would be fine - and so far, he had been right.

Katniss was learning that her father could convince her mother of most things - with a few kisses. Her mother really liked it when her father kissed her. She didn't really understand why.

"She's fine. In fact, she's loves it out there. Don't you sweetheart."

Katniss smiled and nodded her head. "I like the birds the best, especially when they sing."

The man crouched down to Katniss' height. "You must be very brave then. What's your name."

With him looking at her so directly, Katniss felt a wave of embarrassment come over her. She swallowed and mumbled, "Katniss Everdeen."

"Catnip?" The boy said. Katniss glared, finding him a lot less overwhelming than his father - and a lot more annoying.

"Katniss." She hissed louder. "Like the plant."

The boy didn't look impressed which made Katniss more annoyed.

The man stood up and ruffled his son's hair, making the boy frown more. "Well I am Marcus Hawthorne and this is my oldest son Gale."

John nodded to the boy. "It's a pleasure Gale. Your father talks about you often. I hear you are going to be an older brother soon."

"I'm already one with Rory, but yeah, Ma's pregnant again."

"I am hoping for a daughter this time." Marcus said. "Hazelle has a hard enough time keeping the boys in line, I think it would be a nice change."

"Don't be too sure." John laughs. "Katniss and Prim are a handful in a completely different way."

The two men kept chatting about children and pregnancies but Gale kept staring at her. Katniss fidgeted but glared back.

"What?" She finally snapped.

Gale frowned more. "You're a girl."

"You noticed that, huh?" She said. This boy was a real genius.

"You shouldn't be outside the fence. It's too dangerous." He said it in such a matter of fact was that Katniss knew that he believed it. He was having such a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that her father had let a _girl_ outside.

She felt her face flush red in anger. She always did stupid things when she was angry, but she couldn't stop herself, she just wanted to punch him in his stupid idiot face!

Since that was not lady like and her mother would yell at her, Katniss did the next best thing. She kicked him in the shin as hard as she could.

"I can take care of myself!" She yelled and stormed away, knowing her father would catch up with her.

She heard him yell out a 'Sorry,' before reaching her. It was amused so she knew that he wouldn't be mad with her. Katniss was glad he apologized for her, because no matter what she wasn't going to do it.

"Let's not tell you mother about that one." John said, laughing all the way home.

* * *

Gale's shin still ached as he ate the bowl of stew. What was wrong with that girl.

"You're pouting Gale." His father said. He glared at the man too. His father had just laughed under his breath as Gale grabbed his injured leg. It wasn't funny! That girl had just randomly attacked him for no reason. She is certifiably crazy.

"I am not." Gale grumbled into the soup. He wasn't, really.

"Look, I promise not to spread around that a little girl got the better of you."

Gale's anger rose along with the flush of his cheeks. "She didn't. I was just surprised! I only said that girl shouldn't be putting herself in that kind of situation. Did you see her? She looked like she would break if the wind blew too hard."

Greasy Sae snorted. She was cleaning the two rabbits, trying to look busy, but Gale knew she was listening. She was always listening.

"So you were trying to be a gentleman." His father said, his voice soft. Gale nodded. He was. His mother told him that women should be treated with respect and kindness - hadn't that been what he was doing.

"Yeah." He had been the one in the right. Clearly, not that deranged girl. Perhaps that was why her father took her out to the forest, to keep her away from the rest of the district.

"Katniss doesn't need a gentleman." Greasy Sae said, wiping her hands on her apron as she turned around. "And she doesn't need protection. That girl is just like her father - tough as nails."

"But-" Gale started, but Greasy Sae cut him off.

"No buts! She is what she is, and you just need to accept it."

Gale looked at his father for support, but the old man just smiled at him. He wasn't going to give him any support. Great. Attacked by a girl, attacked by Sae and abandoned by his father to their mercies. This was not a great day.

At least he wasn't going to have to deal with the devil girl again anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thanks for all the support! I am having a great time writing this story, so I am glad that people are having a good time reading it! I tired to make Gale and Katniss into convincing kids, but let me know if you disagree. Personally, I think the two of them would get into a lot of trouble together. As always, any feedback is always appreciated!

Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** Susan Collins owns everything.

* * *

 **Song of the Mockingjay - Chapter 2**

* * *

Gale Hawthorne was everywhere. At least that is how Katniss felt as she walked through school during the week. They weren't in the same grade - he was two years older - so she didn't have any classes with him, but he still seemed to be lurking around every corner. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he walked by the cafeteria during lunch. She saw him chatting with friends as she walked to her next class. She saw him walking home from school and playing in the meadow with friends as she picked dandelions for her sister.

Almost every time she saw him, Gale Hawthorne was surrounded by people. He had an easy smile and loud laugh. He seemed likeable enough, then he would see her and all that would change in an instant. He would glower and any inkling of him as a good person would disappear and she would frown back.

The crease in his forehead would make her happy they were in different grades. The downturn of his lips would make her glad that they had different friends, otherwise she would smack his stupid face. The glare in his eyes made her satisfied that she had kicked him and she knew she would do it again if he opened his mouth around her again.

She really hated Gale Hawthorne.

* * *

But it was finally Friday, which meant school was over and she wasn't going to have to see him for two days.

A part of him thought she was stalking him, just waiting with what he had decided were steel-toed boots, to attack him again. She was out of her mind and she was always _staring_ at him. He was used to people looking at him - even glaring at him - but her gaze was different. It was heavy and he knew in an instant that it was hers.

Perhaps it was the deadly intent behind it.

He didn't understand her. He had just been concerned that she was going hunting and the girl had jumped down his throat; now she had a grudge against him. Actually, it was more like a vendetta. He had learned that word the other day - apparently it was how his father viewed their relationship with Capitol. He wasn't supposed to repeat what his father and him talked about in the woods, but the word seemed appropriate when it came to the Everdeen girl.

The thought made him scowl. It was an expression that he realized was on his face more and more these days. Every time he saw her it would just appear. She would look at him with such intensity and then it would evolve into a frown, then a glare, and then she would turn away.

He was really glad it was Friday. No school meant no Everdeen, and that made him smile.

* * *

Sunday had started with passing summer storms, keeping Katniss inside with her mother well past dawn. At first Katniss had been disappointed, but seeing her father play with Prim while she and her mother took inventory of the healing herbs was relaxing. The rolling thunder and rain outside kept them isolated and it brought Katniss a sense of peace. In the woods with her father she felt like she could run forever, go anywhere, _be_ anything. Here, with her family she felt grounded, suspended in a happy moment between seconds that stretched on forever.

The sense of completeness continued, even after the sun had emerged. Her father threw on his leather jacket and grabbed their game bags. Her mother kissed him and then Katniss, slipping their lunch into her smaller bag. Katniss all but ran to the woods, a feeling of contentment filling her body. Nothing could put a damper on her spirits today.

Nothing but Gale Hawthorne waiting for her in the forest.

Katniss blinked, looking at the two Hawthorne men before shooting a disbelieving glance back at her father. "What is this?"

Gale wasn't in much better shape, his mouth hanging open as he stared at her, the rabbit in his hand largely forgotten.

John ignored them and reached out shaking Marcus Hawthorne's hand. "Marcus, glad you could make it."

"Me too." The taller man said, "I was worried you wouldn't come out with the storms this morning."

"If they continued much longer it wouldn't have been worth it." John looked at Gale. "I see you've already gotten started."

"Just checked the snares." Gale mumbled, still staring at Katniss. It was beginning to make her uncomfortable. Couldn't he look somewhere else?

"Gale is really good at snare work." Marcus said, patting his son on the back. "He's even designed a few of his own."

Either the praise or the contact snapped Gale out of his daze and he finally looked at John Everdeen and her father look back at Gale, clearly impressed. It made Katniss glower. She didn't want her father to be as infatuated with the Hawthorne boy as everyone at school seemed to be. The thought of her father taking _him_ hunting suddenly filled her with a possessiveness she had never really encountered before.

"Good for him." She growled, grabbing her father's hand and pulling him in another direction - any direction away from the Hawthornes. "Enjoy your snares. We need to go."

"Katniss." Her father says, stopping her. She knows that tone of voice - and hated it. It's the tone that says I-am-your-father-and-you-will-listen-to-me. "We are hunting with the Hawthornes today."

Katniss couldn't help the glare she shot at Gale.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day hunting together. Gale's father and Mr. Everdeen making polite conversation, but Gale was sure if Katniss opened her mouth either she or he would start a fight. She hated him, he hated her. It was a match made in hell.

What were their father's thinking? Didn't they even notice that the two hadn't spoken one word to each other, let alone looked at each other without glaring? His father was a bit thick at times, but this was bordering on insanity.

After a few excruciating hours, the two split up and Gale could feel the wave of relief that washed over Katniss as she all but dragged her father away.

Gale just shook his head and looked up at his father. "Well that was fun."

"It was, wasn't it." Marcus said. Gale looked at him like he had grown another head. His father sighed. "That was sarcasm, I _know_ Gale. Just look at it from our point of view. We are taking you kids outside the fence - a criminal offense I might remind you, and dangerous beyond that. We just want you to be safe."

"I _am_ safe."

"But you could be safer. Two adults are better than one. Besides, John knows a lot about the woods that I don't. You could learn a lot from him."

Gale hated when his father had a point. Marcus Hawthorne was very good a winning arguments - the only person Gale knew that was better at it was his mother, Hazelle.

He didn't want to ask, but he did anyways. "So are we meeting them next Sunday?" Marcus nodded. "And the Sunday after that?"

"Yes Gale." Marcus sighed. "We will be meeting them for the foreseeable future."

"Great." Gale grumbled. "Just what I always wanted: more Katniss Everdeen in my life."

* * *

"B-But..." Katniss stammered, trying to get the words past her lips. Her father was just _giving_ away their time together.

"Look Katniss, it will only be for a few hours every Sunday. We'll do it early and then you and I can go to the lake. It will be good for you. I only know one snare, and I'm not the best at it."

"But you are a great shot! We don't need snares."

" _You_ do. I'm not letting you touch this bow for another couple of years. Knowing how to make snares will be good for you."

Katniss almost stomped her foot in frustration, but instead she grabbed a rock and threw it into the woods. It made a satisfying crunch as it hit a tree and she pictured it was Gale's stupid face. He really _had_ dazzled her father and taken him away from her. He had inserted himself in her time in the woods and that was unforgivable.

"Do I have to be nice?" She said, only half serious. Her father glared at her. "Fine! I'll be nice."

"Good." He said, "Now, let's make sure we've gotten everything on your mother's list."

* * *

Weeks past and every Sunday was spent in the same way: Gale and Marcus would teach Katniss and her father everything they knew about snares and in return, the Everdeens shared their knowledge of edible plants.

The whole time, Gale and Katniss said as little as possible to each other - and she liked it that way. When Gale talked, she had to admit that he was smart. He knew the animals and the way they thought. His fingers were surprisingly nimble with the lines compared to her awkward attempts. They usually earned her a mocking smile and a snide "Maybe next time Catnip." She was beginning to really hate the name.

Every remark, every smirk, every failed attempt made her want to work harder to beat him - and it seemed that he felt the same. Every little thing quickly turned into a competition between them: who could climb higher, who could move quieter, who could find more plants, who could check more snares.

One day when she was boasting about how she had beaten Gale again, her father had just sighed and muttered "At least you're learning something." She knew he wanted her to get along with the Hawthorne boy, but Gale just made it so _hard_.

As with many Sundays before, Katniss took out her frustrations on the snare lines.

"Jeez Catnip." Came the drawl as the snare was taken from her hand. "If I left you alone longer this line would have been useless."

"It's _Katniss_." She hissed for the thousandth time. "And it isn't that bad."

"Not that bad?" Gale laughed, holding the mess of wire up for her too see. "I think you're closer to a noose than a snare."

"Maybe that's what I was going for." She ground out.

Gale just tutted her. "Don't let our fathers hear that. They want us to be _friends_."

That was never going to happen. She had a better chance of being Reaped tomorrow. She glanced over his shoulder. The two older men were working on a snare up the hill. They were chatting softly, paying them no attention.

That meant they weren't going to get in trouble for fighting again. Katniss smirked, opening up her mouth to issue a biting remark of some sort - she really hadn't worked out what yet - when Gale held up a hand.

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

Katniss frowned. "Hear what?"

Gale tilted his head to the side. "That buzzing."

Katniss really listened and there it was, a faint humming noise. She looked at Gale, and then made a dash towards it. The boy cursed dropping the tangled line and dashed after her.

A few trees over she saw it, hanging on a low branch: a large honeycomb covered in bees. She can hear Gale behind her, telling her to wait but she's too far ahead of him. He won't catch her in time. Honeycomb goes for a lot in the Hob since it's fairly rare and sweets are such a luxury in the Seam. This victory was going to be hers and she could rub it in Gale's face for _weeks_.

She didn't realize that Gale's shouts had turned from annoyed to fearful until she had made the turn around the tree. He had been farther up the hill and had seen it but she hadn't - a bear, big and black, and she ran straight into it.

Katniss was frozen on the ground. Her brain was ordering her to run, but her limbs weren't cooperating. She could hear her mother's voice in her head, telling her to think before she acted, to watch out for predators and to come back safely. She hadn't, she had failed and now she was going to die.

The bear turned on her, snarling as it's lips pulled back from large teeth. Katniss couldn't tear her eyes away from it as spittle flew from its lips as the beast roared. It pulled back one large paw, but it didn't strike. Katniss blinked, registering for the first time Gale's voice. He was shouting and throwing rocks at the bear, anything to get it's attention.

It moved towards him, running and Katniss knew it was her chance to escape. She did the first thing she could think of, climbing the tree as fast as she could. Off in the distance, she heard their fathers rushing towards them. Even with her father's bow, Gale was too close to the bear and her father too far.

"Gale," She shouted. "This way!"

Now that she wasn't face to face with the bear, she had an idea.

* * *

Gale was throwing anything that he could at the bear. It was bigger than he was, which made it huge when compared to Katniss. Her small form had looked so much smaller when the bear had stood over her. He had almost forgotten that she was two years younger than him in the last few weeks, but seeing her like that, cowering in front of the bear, he was hit with how young that really was.

He had acted on instinct, picking up the first rock, then another and another, hurtling them towards the bear. He had been desperate to get the bear's attention, but once gotten, he was desperate to get rid of it.

He ran through the underbrush, away from the bear. It was fast, probably faster than him. He realized that running in a straight line was going to get him nowhere, and he wasn't fast enough to climb out of it's reach so he made a sharp turn to his left, back down the hill.

"Gale!" He heard. It was Katniss. She was alright! That was a relief. He stopped her up in a tree and she was waving frantically at him.

"This way! Hurry!" For the first time ever he listened to her. He turned towards the tree, dodging a swipe from a large black paw. It made him stumble, causing him to roll down the hill and hit something hard. His head was ringing, and he wasn't sure if it was from the bear, Katniss or the loud ringing in his ears, but it was there and it was getting louder.

Blinking, Gale pulled himself up off the ground. He stumbled for a moment, trying to get his bearings. He was at the bottom of the hill, just past the tree and there was the bear, swiping madly at its face as bees swarmed him. How had they gotten there?

Looking up, he saw a smiling Katniss and one conspicuously empty tree branch. His father and John Everdeen came barrelling through the forest, making such a loud ruckus that the bear finally left, wounded pride and all.

His father ran straight to him, gathering him up and inspecting him for injuries.

"I'm fine Dad." Gale said, pushing off the probing hands.

"Fine my ass." Marcus snapped. "You're bleeding."

Gale frowned and reached up into his hair. His fingers came back sticky and wet. That was probably the reason his head felt like it was about to split apart and his could still hear something buzzing.

His mother was going to _kill_ him.

* * *

Katniss climbed down the tree and tried to make it to Gale, but her father's hand on her arm stopped her.

"What were you thinking?" He yelled. Katniss winced, she had never seen her father so mad. His hands moved to her shoulders shaking her, as if to jostle loose and answer.

"I'm sorry!" Was all she could manage. She had known what she had been thinking. She had been thinking about her stupid competition with Gale instead of where she was. She had gotten too complacent in the woods and it had almost cost her.

It had almost cost Gale too. Her eyes widened and she tried to get away from her father. Gale had fallen and hit his head. She needed to check on him.

John just gripped her harder. "Dammit Katniss. I've taught you better than that!"

"I know! I'm sorry!" She cried. She needed to know if Gale was alright. She didn't mean for him to get hurt, seriously hurt. "Please Dad, I just-"

"Just what?" He yelled. "Just had to play your stupid game? Just had to have the upper hand?"

She was on the verge of tears when Marcus put a hand on her father's shoulder. "John." He said. "She's fine. Gale's fine. Relax."

Katniss was sure he was going to keep yelling at the other man, but John deflated a little.

"We need to head back. I want your wife to look at Gale's head."

John nodded, walking up the hill. Marcus sent her a sympathetic look. "Come on." He said, placing one hand on her back. "Let's go."

Katniss nodded. She turned to see Gale with one hand on his head, following them obediently.

No one said anything on the way back, and Katniss thought it would have been better if the yelling had continued. Anything would have been better than this heavy silence. Tears prickled behind her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but her father's back looked so big and so far away. She had disappointed her him, disappointed Mr. Hawthorne and herself.

A nudge on her shoulder brought her up short. Gale elbowed her again and Katniss hastily wiped away the small tears that started falling.

"You save my life Catnip." He said, and for once the nickname didn't sound like an insult.

"After you saved mine." She replied. Gale smiled at her then. Not the cocky, half smile she had always seen, but a genuine, brilliant-as-the-sun smile. She blinked. He had never smiled at her before.

He glanced at the two men walking ahead before reaching into his game bag. He pulled out a large piece of honeycomb and handed it to her. "Guess we earned this then."

She held the sticky sweet mess, staring at his stupid face with his stupid smile and found it hard not to smile back.

"Guess we did."

* * *

Their mother's had been horrified of course and the two had been grounded, but the lingering sweetness from the honey was worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hello people! If anyone is still sticking around, welcome back - and for anyone new welcome! I know it's been a while (got caught up in another project) but here's the next chapter. I'm not fully satisfied with it, but there was so much information I wanted to cover about the District and the world in general, so it kind of got all smooshed in to one chapter. Oops. Anyways, in with all the world building we see Katniss and Gale start to trust each other and become friends. I won't be detailing every year of their lives, but I wanted to make sure we got some development of their friendship before they become besties.

And if people didn't recognize it. The song here is "Deep in the Meadow", the lullaby from the books

I hope you enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to Suzanne Collins.

* * *

Song of the Mockingjay: Chapter 3

* * *

Gale stretched lazily in the autumn sun. He could smell the rabbit his father was cooking over the open fire. The scent of meat, fat and pine mixed together so well it had his stomach growling. Rabbit was probably his favorite. It was always rich and juicy, all but melting on his tongue. His father made the best roast rabbit, stuffing the cavity with mint and berries giving the meat a lingering sweetness. His mother on the other hand made the best rabbit stew; so thick and savory that it had a 'stick to your bones' feel. When they had the money the stew even had small dumplings in it. Gale swore when she made stew with dumplings he was full for _days_.

She made rabbit stew a lot these days. Apparently when women get pregnant they have cravings and Hazelle Hawthorne craved rabbit. According to his father, every pregnancy has been different. While she carried Gale, she wanted mint, mint and more mint. She would put it in a bit of yogurt and slather it on her meat, she ate it with soft cheese on bread, she even would chew it. She had dropped the habit after the pregnancy and Gale had picked up. He had shoved a few leaves in his mouth one afternoon when he had been particularly hungry and become an addict. He loved the crisp tingle that lingered on his tongue, especially in the summer when it made the hot, humid air seem like a cool drink of water.

A small splash of water caught his attention. Squinting against the sun, he let his eyes shift to the source of the noise. It was Katniss and she was attempting to skip stones and failing. He smirked softly. She was frowning more with every failure, but he knew she wouldn't ask for help; that was only a last resort for her. She preferred to try to figure everything out on her own. It was one of her traits that both amused and frustrated him.

Over the last few months, they had been forced to spend even more time together. With his mother about to pop, they had started seeing more and more of Katniss' mother. Camille Everdeen was a blessing to the people of the Seam. She was an outsider with her blonde hair and pale skin, but she had given everything up for love - her station, her wealth, her home - and now she was one of them. It had been shocking, not only because of what she had lost but also because she had been set to take over the apothecary. The District had a doctor, assigned by the Capitol no less, but he was associated with the mines. Miners were the only ones allowed to see him with work related injuries - this didn't include chronic issues like Black Lung, of course. It was so unfair.

A few years ago, one of his best friends, Thom, had broken his arm. When Gale had suggested that his father take him to the Doctor, Marcus looked at him with such sad and angry eyes.

"He can't." His father had said with a bitter voice. Gale hadn't understood but Marcus had told him it was alright because he would still be taken care of and it would be be better because it was by one of their own. Gale hadn't known at the time what he was talking about, but he understood now. Camille Everdeen was _their_ doctor, _their_ nurse, _their_ midwife and healer of everything from stomach aches to broken bones.

She was the best at what she did and she was supposed to be all of this for the merchants in town, not the Seam. Her family, the Lockes, were very well respected in town. They had been the healers for multiple generations, having their oldest take over the store, no matter if they were male or female. It was understood that no matter who they married, their husband or wife would become part of the Locke family and not the other way around. That is why it was so shocking when Camille Locke, the beautiful and smart heiress of the apothecary had eloped with a miner.

She, of course, had been disowned and her younger brother ran the apothecary now. There was a bitterness towards the miners after that - more so than before and the divide between the two parts of District 12 had become larger than ever. Some merchants still happily traded with the Seam, while others did so with a sour look on their face, charging ridiculous prices for their goods. It strained the people of the Seam, and according to his father, at first some people treated the newly wed Everdeens with the same disdain as the town did, but when Camille opened her doors to the poor at no cost, that quickly vanished. She was welcomed as one of their own and had earned the respect of the people of the Seam with her generosity and compassion.

Gale liked the Everdeens. John was a good man - funny, caring and smart. Camille was everything her reputation said she was, often giving Gale a few mint leaves when he came over with his mother. Thier, youngest child Prim was also a sweetheart. She had her mother's blonde hair and blue eyes and most people in the Seam doted on her everytime they came to visit. Rory had taken an instant liking to her and the two often played together.

And then there was Katniss. Gale let his eyes roam over her face as she picked up another rock. She was prideful, stubborn and quick to anger. She refused to ask for help, but gave it willingly. She was loyal to her family - devoted to her father, protective of her sister, and proud of her mother. She was a child of the Seam, just like him.

Her brow was furrowed in annoyance as the rock crashed into the water but he could tell from her posture that she was relaxed. It was something he never thought he would see from the girl, but then again he was convinced for months that she was plotting to kill him.

After the incident with the bear, Katniss and Gale reach a truce of sorts. To say that they were friends would be pushing it, but they seem to tolerate each other's presence, which given how often he was over there was good - he didn't need his mother grounding him for making snide comments. The constant competition with each other was still there, but the angry, desperate edge to it has eased. It had even started to turn into a game.

Not that Gale would ever admit to having _fun_ with the Everdeen girl.

After another pitiful ploop in the water, Gale stood brushing off his pants and walked over to Katniss. "Here," He said, picking up a rock. The river stone was flat and smooth, fitting perfectly between his forefinger and thumb. He handed it to her and grabbed another one. "Let me show you."

Katniss instantly prickled, fingering the stone. "I'll figure it out on my own."

"Really?" He drawled. He drew his arm back and threw the stone parallel to the water, skipping it five times. "Think you can figure it out before you're ancient?"

She glared at him, trying to copy his movements, but the stone turned in the air and landed loudly in the water. The splash sucked up the sound and the rock as it sank to the bottom of the pond. He wanted to tell her that she's turning her wrist too much, that she should twist her body and throw with her elbow and not her shoulder but the defiant look on her face told him that it would be a waste of time. He was learning to read the small girl. He knew the set of her jaw and the furrow of her brow when she was determined to do things her way, so instead of wasting his breath he grabbed a few more rocks and began to skip them.

She was watching him, taking apart every aspect of his throw, and trying to figure out where she went wrong. They both knew that he was trying to teach her, but since she hadn't asked and he hadn't really offered, it didn't seem like help - not really.

After a few, she picked up a stone and tried it herself. It skipped once and she glanced back at him with a triumphant smirk. "Told you."

With each throw she improved, and soon it had turned into another competition. She was getting there, but Gale was better. Her last throw skipped five times, a personal best for her, but Gale trumped her easily with seven skips.

"Maybe next time Catnip." Gale said. She glared at him, her lower lip sticking out slightly in a pout. It was his favorite look on her - it was both defeated and defiant. She knew she had lost the battle, but the war was still on.

Grabbing a rock she threw it into the water. It was a petulant, childish move - her annoyance getting the better of her. She hadn't noticed that the rock she had grabbed hadn't been smooth, it had been too large and she had hurled it as hard as she could instead of with finesse. It didn't even make it far into the pond, hitting a large boulder close to the edge. It shattered with a loud crack, causing everyone to jump.

"Nice aim." Gale said, but Katniss was already wading into the water. Gale frowned, following her and as he got closer, he saw a glittering purple light shining back at him. The stone had split open and just like like the golden center of the egg, this rock had it's own treasure. The entire center was littered with crystals. They caught the sunlight like jewels, sparkling more than anything Gale had ever seen before.

"Wow," Katniss breathed, picking up one of the crystals and holding it up to the sun. It was a single, large perfect shaft, dark purple and pointed at one end and almost translucent at the other.

"Wow," John echoed, coming up behind her. He picked up the largest piece, throwing it over to Gale's father. "How much do you think we can get for this?"

"More than any rabbit." Marcus said. "Even if we just sell this one it will go for a small fortune in town." He placed it in the game bag with a smile. "Grab everything you can find. We'll head back into town after lunch. I don't think we'll need to hunt anything for dinner."

They collected every other crystal they could find in the shallows, but Katniss' father insisted that she keep the single, perfect crystal. "A finder's fee." He said. She glanced at it with a small frown. Gale didn't understand what there was to be angry about, the gem was gorgeous and he was a bit envious.

With deliberate steps, she walked over to Gale and placed it in his hand, closing his fist around it.

"Winners deserve a prize." She said. "But I like it, so next time I win, you have to give it back."

Gale stared down at the crystal, enjoying the weight in his hand. He couldn't wait to show it off, but he knew he wasn't going to get to keep it for long.

And he didn't. Three days later he returned it to her after she beat him in a climbing contest. It hadn't been a verbal contract, she just assumed that he would willingly give up the small crystal. He did of course because fair is fair, but he was already plotting to ways to get it back.

* * *

Katniss sat at the kitchen table watching Gale ignore her. She knew he didn't actually want to be doing his math homework - no one _wanted_ to do math - but he also didn't want to be yelled at. She wondered if she could convince him to go outside and do something - anything - that wasn't homework. Going with Gale would be the only way their mothers would let her out of the house.

"You're staring again Catnip." Gale mumbled, scribbling something down. His eyebrows were furrowed in the same way they were when he was setting up a new snare. Katniss had called it his 'thinking face' and it was one of many. It turned out that Gale Hawthorne was very expressive. When they had first met she was convinced that his face was stuck in a scowl but in the last few months she had realized that he could smile and not only that, his mouth smirked in inches depending on how happy he was. In order from smallest to largest there was his challenging smirk, his victory smirk, his 'job well done' smile and his completely, one hundred percent happy, face splitting smile.

She had only seen the last one once, but the first two were daily occurrences. His eyebrows were just as expressive and she was convinced that one day she would know exactly what he was thinking just by staring at the space between his eyebrows.

"That's because there's nothing else to do." Katniss grumbled, dramatically flopping her head down. She reached across and flicked the small crystal hanging around his neck. After she had almost lost it, her mother tied some leather around it so Katniss could wear it as a necklace. She had waved it in his face the next day before challenging him to a blueberry eating contest. Gale won and wore the gem proudly even though he had been slightly green.

With an annoyed glare, he swatted her hand away. "Why don't you help mom?"

She glanced over at the large woman on the couch. Hazelle was folding clean bandages and packing the emergency kits. A few days ago Mr. Greene had hurt himself trying to fix his roof. Her mother had gone over, brewing pain medication and tending to his various cuts and bruises from the fall. Her emergency bag had been depleted and the women were in the process of replenishing it. Katniss helped for a while, but they were almost done now.

Prim and Rory were too lost in their own make believe world to be helpful either. Apparently they were Storm Spirits - he was Thunder and she was Lightning. It was based on a story their father told them. Whenever Prim was scared of storms he would gather her up in his arms and tell the story of the Storm Spirits. There were four siblings: Cloud, Thunder, Lightning and Rain. Cloud was the oldest, leading the way as they chased their father the sun across the sky and running from their mother the moon who always told them to sleep. Thunder and Lightning were loud, rambunctious twins, always playing together under the watchful eye of their eldest sibling. Rain, the youngest was curious about the world below and would try to escape, but her brothers would snatch her back up and return her to the safety of the sky.

Her father had been telling stories about the Storm Spirits ever since Katniss was a child and he had a dozen different tales staring them and even some stories about animals and trees. Some she had learnt were based on truths, like the story about the Mockingjays, and others were things he made up on a whim to calm her down when she was Prim's age. The Storm Spirits fell into the second category. Even though Katniss would argue that she had outgrown the stories, it didn't stop her from listening in whenever he told them to Prim.

Her mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner for the eight of them but Katniss didn't feel like helping out with that. Family dinners with the Hawthornes and the Everdeens had become a regular occurrence. Between the friendship her father and Marcus Hawthorne had and the quickly developing relationship between the women, it had seemed like the natural thing to do. Katniss didn't mind that much - the meat they brought in on Sundays always seemed to stretch a bit further - but it meant sharing meals with Gale. That seemed almost as personal as hunting with her father and she didn't know how to feel about it.

"Come on Gale!" She all but whined. She knew she was begging now but she had to get out of this house. It was a beautiful autumn day and they didn't know how many more of these they would get.

He just shot her a look that told that he wasn't going to budge from the table until he was done.

"Katniss." Her mother said, saving Gale. Katniss had been on the verge of grabbing him, shaking him and maybe dragging him outside whether he liked it or not. She jumped up excitedly.

"Yes?"

"Can you take this basket to the baker's house? Mr. Mellark asked for some salve for his hands." Katniss rushed over, grabbing the small basket from her mother. There were three bottles, a few pages of handwritten instructions and a bag of some sort of herbal infusion. This was a lot more than just some cream for his hands.

Katniss pulled out the small satchel and sniffed it. It smelt of the woods. "Willow bark tea?" She asked and her mother smiled.

"That's right. Good job Katniss."

Katniss beamed. While her father was teaching her everything he knew about the woods, her mother was determined that Katniss would be a healer. There were many evenings that the two of them would sit around her mother's book of plants - one of the few items her mother had brought with her from town - and talk about healing properties of plants. They focused on identifying plants, since she often collected them on Sunday with her father, and they were starting to branch off into what each plant actually did. She was a long way from understanding _why_ her mother made certain ones into salves and others into teas and why some need to be served hot and while others need to be kept in the icebox - but she was making progress.

Some were easier to remember than others since the plants were pretty distinctive. Willow bark was one that Katniss would never forget, but not because it was easy to find. Once she had twisted her ankle really badly in the woods with her father and he had cut out a small piece of the inner bark for her to chew on. It hadn't tasted very good, but the swelling in her ankle had gone down and she could put weight on it. Ever since then, Katniss had been more attentive when her mother talked about what each plant did.

"Take Gale with you." Hazelle said from the couch. She got up slowly, one hand supporting her large belly. "It's getting late and I don't want you walking back from Town in the dark by yourself."

Gale's head shot up and he gave his mother a pleading look. Hazelle was not one to be swayed - ever. Katniss respected that about her. It took a strong person to keep Gale in line - even his father struggled sometimes.

There was a heated, unspoken battle between the two before Gale sighed and got up. Katniss smirked at him. It wasn't exactly what she had planned when she had wanted to go out, but she still felt like she had won because Gale was forced to drop his homework. Frankly, he should be thanking her. Who in their right minds would rather do math then be outside?

The two walked in silence all the way to town. It wasn't uncomfortable. Over the months he had stopped scowling at her and she had stopped glaring at him and they had found that the quiet moments between them were bearable - maybe more so than when they were talking. Talking still often lead to some sort of argument because they were both too stubborn for anything else.

Town wasn't much, but it was much nicer than the Seam. In the Seam the houses were patched up and worn and everything was covered in coal dust - just like the people. The only people that lived in the Seam were the miners and they tracked in black soot as much as the mines at the edge of town spurted it out. No matter how often her mother cleaned, it seemed to just reappear as soon as her father got home. It stuck to everything: counters, floors, clothing, skin. There was a saying that the miners hadn't always looked so...Seam. Everyone, they said, used to look like the merchants with pale hair and paler skin. Then they went under the mountain and came out covered in soot. When they tried to wash it off, they found that their skin was stained and their hair remained black. It even changed their eyes, dulling the bright blue of town to Seam grey.

The physical differences of the people were only emphasized by the differences in their homes. The merchants clearly lived a very different life than those of the miners. The houses were almost all two floors, with the bottom being the store fronts and the top the homes of the shopkeepers. The square was lined with the brightest and most profitable shops. They were painted beautiful shades of red and blue - the butcher's was green, Katniss favorite color - and they had large displays of their wears in the front. She used to like looking at them until she started noticing the glares sent her way by most of the shopkeeps.

The Mellark bakery was a pale blue with a navy and gold sign. Today they had a large cake covered in small flowers surrounded by trays upon trays of cookies and tarts. Beyond them she could see the display of breads and rolls by the counter and a blonde head rushing back and forth, filling an order for one of the multitude of townsfolk. It was surprisingly full. This close to closing, the store was usually fairly empty.

"Great." Gale mumbled, looking at the group of people. "This is going to be fun."

Katniss nodded. She knew what he meant. Most of the people in town weren't the biggest fans of those from the Seam, her in particular. Her father had told her not to let it get to her, and she did her best not to be bothered by their stares, but she still noticed them. Katniss was contemplating just running in and dropping the basket off and running back out when she noticed Gale's frown in the reflection. He wasn't looking at the people anymore but her.

"Bet you can't get Mr. Mellark to trade you a cookie for the basket."

Katniss turned to him and the frown was gone. His challenging smirk was plastered on his face and Gale crossed his arms, leaning the glass in a daring fashion. Katniss' competitive nature instantly got the better of her - she couldn't resist wiping that look of his face - and she opened the door. Any worries about the merchants and their judgments was forgotten as she strode in with her head held high.

A few people did turn to look at them, and Katniss could hear some of the whispers, but she walked past the line of people and up to the counter. Someone murmured something about Seam kids having no manners and Katniss turned to snap back an insult. It wouldn't have helped their case, but it would have made her feel better. Instead of a blonde head, all she saw was Gale's back, his shoulders square and proud.

"We're here to make a delivery." He said, talking more to trio of blonde boys behind the counter than to the people waiting in line. He didn't take his eyes the crowd, daring them to make another snide comment. Eyes fell away from the pair and Katniss found even she couldn't look at him. She wasn't sure what to do with this Gale - Gale who saw her fears and protected her from them.

Katniss turned her attention back to the counter and almost jumped at the wide blue eyes staring at her. His curly mop partially covered them, but since they were almost the same height, those eyes seemed to bore straight into her.

"Um," She started, suddenly nervous. "We have a delivery for you father. Some herbs and creams for his hands."

The boy stared at her and Katniss fidgeted under his gaze. It wasn't until one of his brothers elbowed him with a hissed "Peeta" that he seemed to snap out of his trance.

"Right, a delivery. Let me go get my dad." He turned around quickly, but Katniss could see the deep blush at spread rapidly over his cheeks.

"What was that about?" Gale asked from over her shoulder. Katniss shrugged. She was as lost as he was. Peeta was in her year at school, but they never talked. They ran in different crowds, well he did. Katniss had problems making friends at school. It wasn't her fault they got insulted when she told the truth.

"What a strange kid." He said and Katniss had to agree.

A few minutes later Peeta came back out with his father in tow, still blushing. He mumbled something to Katniss and ran off to help his brothers with the customers. Mr. Mellark laughed at his youngest and smiled at them.

"You must be Cami's daughter. You look just like she did when she was your age - braid and all. True, you've got your father's coloring but everything else screams Cami. I wouldn't be surprised if you break some hearts when you get older."

Katniss blinked in surprise at the use of her mother's nickname. "You knew my mother?"

Mr. Mellark smiled sadly. "We grew up together. Most of the merchant kids are pretty close, but your mom and I were inseparable."

Suddenly all the extra herbs and teas in her basket made sense. Katniss had never thought much about her mother's life before she had moved to the Seam and married her father, but looking into the sad, kind eyes of Mr. Mellark, she found herself curious.

"What was she like?"

He opened his mouth to say more, but a call from the back cut him off. He sighed and shot her a regretful smile. "A story for another day I guess." Katniss nods, handing him the basket. His blue eyes widen at the sight of all the medication and she can't help but think about how much he looked like Peeta in that moment.

"Did she really send all this for me?" He asked, his voice disbelieving and wistful all at once. He pulled out the detailed note and ran his fingers over the elegant loops of her mother's cursive writing. The way he looked at the note and the medicines makes something in Katniss' gut tighten.

"It's too much." Mr. Mellark said, pulling himself out of his trance. "I can't accept this for free." Before Katniss can argue, he pulls out a loaf of bread and wraps it in a bag.

"Mr. Mellark..." Katniss started, knowing her mother wouldn't like that she came back with payment for the medicine. She knew the herbs weren't worth that much and the prideful, Seam part of her is angry at the gift. It's something she really can't repay, but the way he smiled at her is so kind and so hopeful that she can't bring herself to turn down the food.

He then handed her a small cookie. The creamy pinwheel is filled with a deep red jam and sprinkled with sugar. She could smell the citrus as he passed it and the bread, still warm from the oven, across the counter.

"Those used to be your mother's favorite. Call it a delivery fee. I'll make sure to have a batch ready for you next time you come so you can take them back with you."

Slowly, she takes the gifts and feels the weight of the history between her mother and Mr. Mellark in that bread. She understands his feelings - this is too much. Before he can disappear into the back, she calls out to him.

"Mr. Mellark?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you like umm...squirrels?" Squirrels were hard to catch, but it was one of the few things she could hunt on her own. Gale had taught her a trap that sat in the branches and she was proud to say that she could set and reset it all by herself.

He smiled at her, a smile that warms her all the way down to her toes. "I do."

"I'll bring you one next time...and maybe you can tell me more about my mom."

"Alright. You have a deal..."

"Katniss." She said, "My name is Katniss."

Mr. Mellark finally leaves, calling out to whoever was summoning him. Gale elbows her gently, and Katniss almost jumps. She had forgotten he was there. He nods towards the door and the two exit, leaving the slowly emptying bakery. As the door closes, Katniss turns to look back and finds Peeta staring at her with his bright blue eyes.

"Well," Gale said, as they start back, "I guess this is yours, but I'm not too sure you've earned it." He holds out the crystal necklace, dangling it in front of her, just out of reach. It takes a moment for Katniss to remember the bet and she bites the cookie definitely. The promised citrus is strong and sour, cut by the sweet raspberry jam. It is probably the best thing she has ever tasted and she can understand why her mother loved it so much.

"Can't argue with results." She said and Gale chuckled, handing her the necklace.

"No you can't."

She slipped it on, and then breaks the cookie in half and handed half to him. "Here, for earlier."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He mumbled, but still took the cookie. He genuinely looked confused and Katniss wondered if he really didn't know. She wasn't about to tell him that the bet had helped her have courage and that something inside fluttered when he protected her.

Is this what it was like to have friends?

She stuffed the rest of her half of the cookie in her mouth and refused to think about it anymore.

* * *

Three weeks later, on October 17th, George Victor Hawthorne was born. He was named George for Hazelle's father and Victor for Marcus' Grandfather. His parents had fought over the name, but as usual Gale's mother won. His father didn't really like the name George, so he took to calling the boy Vick every chance he got. It definitely suited the baby more than George, and with his father saying the name so often, even Rory started calling the baby Vick. His mother eventually gave in once Mrs. Everdeen slipped.

Vick, like Rory and Gale, was born with a thick head of jet black hair, olive skin and bright grey eyes. They were lighter than normal and everyone decided that he was going to be a real looker. Gale's father puffed up his chest with pride when he heard this, but Greasy Sae quickly knocked the wind out of his sails when he brought the child to the Hob, saying Vick clearly got all his looks from Hazelle's side of the family.

Gale squinted at the small baby in his arms. Maybe, if he turned Vick the right way, he looked more like his mother. It was hard to tell under all the rolls of fat. Vick yawned, blinking at his brother blearily. Gale couldn't help but smile and Vick smiled back reflexively. Gale had taken to Vick immediately and apparently the feelings were reciprocated. No one - not even his father - could get Vick to smile as much as Gale did.

The door to the Hawthorne household burst opened and Rory and Prim ran in, yelling loudly. Rory was chasing Prim, waving some sort of a frog in her face and Prim was desperately trying to dodge the slimy limbs thrust in her direction.

"Katniss!" She screamed as her sister came in the door after her. Rory just laughed as Prim skirted behind Katniss' legs, sticking her tongue out at the boy. Gale was on his feet in a moment, doing his best to cradle Vick in one arm and grab Rory with the other.

"Quiet!" He hissed, tugging Rory back by his shirt. "Ma is trying to sleep and Vick-"

There was a loud cry and Vick - happy, almost napping Vick - was wide awake and very angry about it. Gale cursed, whacking his brother upside the head. His mother spent most nights up with the baby so that their father could sleep and she was running herself ragged trying to deal with him and the two older boys. Gale had begged Katniss to take Rory so he could focus on Vick and his mother could catch up on sleep. It had worked for a few hours, but all the peacefulness was gone thanks to a few chaotic moments.

"Sorry," Katniss said. "We got kicked out of my house. Mom had some patients and didn't want us hanging out in the Meadow after dark."

It was starting to get late and he understood, but it still didn't mean she had to let them run into the house screaming bloody murder. Gale bounced Vick, trying to get the baby to sleep. Rory and Prim both looked appropriately remorseful and Katniss was able to get the two to sit quietly on the couch while she got a rag to clean the mud from their faces.

A few minutes later, a sleep tousled Hazelle emerged from his parents bedroom and reached out for Vick. Gale handed him over, wincing at how noticeable the bags under her eyes had become. She cooed and spoke soft words to the baby, but he was still crying.

Gale fell onto the couch, between the two kids with a sigh. Vick, while a good kid most of the time, had a very, _very_ powerful set of lungs on him and once he got going, it was almost impossible to get him to stop.

Katniss finished cleaning Prim's hands and looked over at Hazelle and then back at Gale with a smirk. She pointed at the crystal around his neck and said, "Bet I can get Vick back to sleep faster than you can."

Gale, who had the necklace thanks to a winning a fishing contest last Sunday, scoffed. Vick didn't like going to sleep once a full blown tantrum had started. Gale and his mother had a few tricks up their sleeves after weeks of being around the babe, but Katniss was hardly there, spending more time entertaining Vick and Prim these days than with Gale.

"I'd like to see you try."

Katniss, pulled him up off the couch and walked him over to his mother. "Mrs. Hawthorne, you need to rest. Gale and I can handle the kids."

She gave Katniss the same disbelieving look he had. It only made Gale smile more and Katniss dig in her heels. "I promise, if we have any problems we will come get you."

Hazelle sighed and Gale could see the exhaustion coming off her in waves. "Alright Katniss, but if he's not asleep in 10 minutes then I am coming back out."

Katniss smiled and gestured for Gale to take the baby. At eight, Katniss still wasn't allowed to hold the baby unless she was sitting down. Hazelle passed him off with a worried look on her face, but retreated back to the bedroom.

"So what now?" Gale asked.

"Now, you sit down."

Katniss shooed the younger children off the couch and sat Gale back down, growing more curious and skeptical by the moment. She situated herself next to him and the other two filled in on his other side, waiting to see what Katniss was going to do.

At first, all Gale could see was Katniss leaning over Vick, her hands stroking his feathery down hair. Then he noticed her lips moving. He wanted to move closer to hear what she was saying but he didn't need to. Vick slowly quieted and Gale knew that she wasn't talking to the boy, but _singing_.

 _Deep in the meadow, under the willow_  
 _A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_  
 _Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes_  
 _And when you awake, the sun will rise._

 _Here it's safe, here it's warm_  
 _Here the daisies guard you from harm_  
 _Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_  
 _Here is the place where I love you._

 _Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_  
 _A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray,_  
 _Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_  
 _And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

 _Here it's safe, here it's warm_  
 _Here the daisies guard you from every harm_  
 _Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_  
 _Here is the place where I love you._

Her voice was as delicate as a bird song. Even though she sang just above a whisper, every word was clear and smooth. It was like the world had stopped just to hear her sing. Vick looked up at her with wide, curious eyes but obediently stayed quiet as she started the song over again. She sang until his eyes began to droop - and not only his but Prim and Rory's as well.

At some point during the song Prim had moved next to her sister and began dozing softly using Katniss' lap as a pillow. Rory wasn't far behind and his head fell heavily against Gale's shoulder. If Gale hadn't been so entranced he might have followed their lead, but he couldn't tear his eyes from the small girl next to him. From the soft smile on her lips to her gentle gaze, Katniss was radiating a tender happiness that he would have never believed possible from the fiery, competitive girl that he thought he knew.

As softly as she started, Katniss let the words of her song trail off into nothing. Slowly, the world restarted. Gale could make out the birds outside and the far off sounds people moving about the Seam. Compared to the stillness of the room, they seemed loud and jarring.

"Catnip..." He breathed out. "I didn't know you could sing."

Katniss shrugged. "You never asked and..." She looked away, blushing ever so slightly. "It's more something my dad and I do in the woods. We can even get the Mockingjays to sing with us."

"I'd like to see that."

She looked up at him, fairly surprised and for a moment her eyes are suspicious but she must see something in him that calms her and that small, pleased smile returns. "Alright, but only in the woods."

"Why?"

"Because somethings should just stay in the woods."

Gale felt the corners of his lips curl in a smile. It was hard to argue with that statement.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. here's the next chapter. We've skipped some time and now Katniss is 10 and Gale is 12. I've come to realize that I can write young children and adults - anything in between seems to be difficult for me, so I apologize in advance for how adult Gale and Katniss sound. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Hopefully I can get the next one up sooner - it's going to be very dramatic, unlike the fluff piece this chapter has turned into. So stick around, there is more good times to come!

 **Disclaimer:** Suzanne Collins owns everything, though I wish she'd give me Gale.

* * *

Song of the Mockingjay: Chapter 4

* * *

Winters in District 12 were never predictable. Some years they were fairly warm with little snow and sometimes it felt like the whole world had always been ,and would always be, covered in a blanket of white. The short days and long nights were hard, especially for the miners. They woke long before the first rays of sunlight peaked over the horizon and emerged from the darkness of the mountain only to find the surface just as black.

Gale had been born during a particularly harsh winter. As his mother liked to tell it, they hadn't had any electricity in days and the snow had been piled shoulder high around small paths shoveled around town. Freezing temperatures and food shortages had caused a lot of deaths and the lack of able bodied miners had meant that Marcus had pulled extra hours in the mines. His shift was so long that she went into labor and had Gale before Marcus had returned home.

His smile, she said, was brighter than the bonfire at the Solstice festival the next night - and it had stayed that way until spring.

This year the winter had been fairly mild. They hadn't had a serious snowfall yet and the temperatures had been practically balmy for the time of year. It meant that more animals were active in the woods and that meant more meat on the table for the Hawthorne family.

Gale stretched in the darkness, feeling the two small, warm bodies pressed on either side of him. Vick - now two - had decided that he didn't want to sleep with his parents anymore. He was permanently glued to his brothers, often following them around like a shadow when they were home. It was annoying for Rory and Gale, but good for his mother. Vick was growing like a weed - a trait shared by all the Hawthorne boys - and his new found height and mobility meant that he was getting himself into all sorts of trouble. The only time his relentless curiosity seemed to be manageable was when it was fixated on his older brothers.

Rory was tolerating it, but he was reaching the end of his rope, often escaping to the Everdeen house and Prim. The two were basically inseparable, even when Prim forced him to play with her two small dolls The first few times he had run off Hazelle had been furious. They had searched everywhere for the young boy, only to find him happily playing in the small fenced in yard with Prim. It had become the rule that Rory could to go over to the Everdeen house if and only if Gale walked him over there and Katniss brought him back before dinner.

That meant that Gale was often left alone with the bundle of tireless energy that was his youngest sibling. He loved Vick, he really did, but the boy could be exhausting. He understood why his mother was always so eager to pawn Vick off on Gale the second he was home from school.

Today, however, was Gale's day - December 20th, his birthday. With the preparations for the Solstice celebration in full swing, he knew that his family's funds were tighter than usual. He didn't mind. The only thing he ever wanted was the one thing he got - one full day with his father. Marcus would take the day off the mines and spend it with Gale doing whatever he wanted. He knew they needed the money and forgoing a day's wage put a strain on their limited funds, but Marcus was insistent and he did it for every one of his children's birthdays and his wife's.

In the darkness of the morning, Gale could hear the slight creaking in the room next to his. It meant his father was up. It was just past six, a full hour after his father usually reported to the mines, but still a while before the sun rose.

Slowly, Gale disentangled himself from the mess of small limbs wrapped around him and got dressed. They needed to get moving soon if they were going to reach their hunting spot by dawn. During winter they had to ventured farther and farther out to catch game since so much animal population was hibernating. With the short days and the larger distances it meant that their window for hunting was severely limited.

"Gale?" His father whispered, cracking the door open ever so slightly.

"I'm up. Just give me a minute."

Gale put on his hunting boots - a hand-me-down from his father - a thick sweater and cap knitted by his mother last year since he had outgrown his last ones. He met his father in the hall with a big smile.

Marcus fingered the shaggy black hair sticking out from under the brown cap. "Getting a bit long there, don't you think?"

Gale rolled his eyes. "I don't need a haircut."

"Too bad." Marcus said, pushing the cap forward on his head. "I'll get your mother to do it later. Trust me, when you're older you'll be glad that we instilled you with _some_ grooming habits."

Gale ducked out from under his father's hand. "Are we going to go hunting today or am I going to get a lecture on the importance of shaving?"

"We can do both. There is a lot of down time in the woods these days."

The smirk on Gale's face dropped. "Please don't."

Marcus threw his arm around Gale's shoulder. He had grown four inches in the last year, but compared to his father's six foot three frame, he still felt small. "You complain now, but in a couple of years you're going to be begging me for advice on girls."

"From what I hear from Mom, you're advice won't help much."

Marcus stopped, letting Gale slip out from under his arm. His mouth opened and closed a few times making Gale laugh. "I wooed your mother with grace and skill. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar."

"Wonder what Greasy Sae would have to say about that." Gale chuckled, dodging his father's playful swings. After a few tries, his father gave up, shaking his head at the youth.

"You got that lip from your mother. Not me."

"I know. Her brains too." His father lunged at him, and this time Gale wasn't fast enough to escape. He ground his fist none too gently into Gale's cap making the wool fabric shift down over his eyes. Gale protested, trying to break free, but his father had too tight a hold on him. With three boys in the house, Gale had gotten pretty good at wrestling, but his father still bested him every time.

"Cheeky boy." Marcus chided, but his voice was all amusement and his face was bright with a smile when he let his son go. There was a brief frown, but Marcus hid it as quickly as it formed. "Come on, we need to get a move on if we want to catch something for lunch."

Gale rubbed the sore spot on his head for a moment before catching up with his father's long strides. The Meadow was quiet as they passed under the fence. In a few months the brown grass would grow tall and green, wild flowers would color the landscape, and cicadas would sing every night. He couldn't wait for spring, even if it meant that his first reaping would be just around the corner.

At twelve, Gale was finally eligible for the Hunger Games. Just the thought of the annual competition haunted his dreams. It was a bloodbath and viewing was mandatory - to make sure everyone fully understood the power of the Capitol. Every year they took two innocent children from every district - one boy and one girl - and forced them to fight to the death. Only one victor came out, and more often than not it was from one of the wealthier districts. In District twelve, 'tribute' was synonymous with 'death'. They only had one living victor - Haymitch Abernathy - and he was an old, portly drunk that, spent most of his days at the bottom of the bottle.

His father had pointed him out once and Gale had never forgotten Abernathy ever since. "There," His father had said, as the man had stumbled by reeking of spirits. "That is a broken man. It's the only gift the Capitol will ever give you."

Gale shook his head as he followed his father deeper into the woods. He didn't want to think about the Games, not today. Today was his day. Marcus and Gale laughed and chatted as they checked their snare lines. Today they had a good haul - especially for winter: two rabbits, a squirrel, and a raccoon. The raccoon was still relatively fat and would fetch a good price at the Hob - most meat did at this time of year. Rabbit was Sae's favorite to serve in stew, but Gale knew that they would be keeping those two. His mother had specifically asked for any they had brought back, to make rabbit for the Solstice. That meant that they were having squirrel for dinner. Not his favorite, but anything was better than the bland grain mush they ate most days.

The sun was high when they finally stopped for lunch. His father pulled out some dense, flat bread. It was made from the the same grain as their mush, but ground coarsely and baked so it approached something that appeared to be bread. The only real flour was expensive, so much so that only a handful of members of District 12 could afford to buy it. The bakers got a discount since they bought it in bulk direct from the Capitol, so their bread wasn't too outrageously priced, but it was still a treat for people in the Seam. Once in a blue moon his family could afford a loaf and that was mostly due to the baker's affection for the Katniss. He always gave them a better deal if she was around.

A few pieces of precious squirrel jerky rounded out the small meal, making Gale ache even more for the changing of the seasons. His father didn't seem too interested in his meal, sighing loudly as he twirled a piece of jerky in his fingers.

"I wish I could give you more." He said, looking up at Gale. Reaching across, he placed a warm palm on Gale's cheek. "You deserve so much more than this."

"You're doing the best you can Dad. We all know it."

"But it's not enough. I work 12 hours a day, six days a week and for what? Bad grain and a handful of coins? We can barely scrape by, and that's only because we break the law and hunt for our meat. No one in the Seam can have both a family and full stomachs - and the worst part is that the Capitol prefers it that way." His hand clenches around the piece of jerky. "Bastards."

Gale had heard this before. His father had a deep hatred for the Capitol - most people in the Seam did, but most never said anything because inside the fence it was too dangerous. Out here though, his father was open with his opinions and Gale could see the fire that burned in his eyes. It made the boy proud to know that even with the harsh life, his father never gave up. Gale swore that he wouldn't either.

"Why don't we leave then?" Gale whispered. He looks out over the woods. Even in the harshness of winter, it still looked like freedom. If he had one wish, one gift for his birthday, it would be to stay out here forever; no fences, no rules, no Capitol.

Marcus looked over at Gale, smiling sadly. "That would be nice. We could build a small house in the woods, close to a stream with fish. You and I would hunt all day, and when Rory and Vick were old enough they'd join us. We'd have fresh meat all year and plenty of furs to keep us warm. That would be the life."

"It would be better than staying here. Especially since..." Gale wanted to say 'Since I'm up for reaping' but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. His father knew what he wanted to say though. Marcus reached out a hand and placed it on Gale's shoulder.

"Especially since you're twelve now." He sighed, looking up at the sky. "With the two younglings and the Capitol on our tail we'd never make it. We could be beaten or jailed for hunting, but that is nothing compared to what would happen when the Capitol caught us trying to run. I would never put your mother or you through that. People deserve a better fate."

"District twelve isn't much better."

"No, you're right." Marcus ran a hand through his unruly hair, a habit of his when he was frustrated - one that Gale had picked up. "I wish I could just take you away and give you a better life. I wish I could save you from the reapings. I wish that you never had to know what it was like to work in the mines." He sighed loudly. "I wish a lot of things."

"Me too." Gale whispered.

Marcus smiled then, looking over at his son. "Did I ever tell you how I met your mother?"

Gale shrugged. "Something about the Justice Building."

He nodded. "It was a few weeks after the Hunger Games. It had been particularly brutal that year and I knew the kid from 12 who was reaped. After he died, I couldn't sleep for weeks. I was angry and went up to the Justice building and started throwing rocks at windows. Luckily it was your mother who opened the doors and not a Peacekeeper. Her arms were filled with tesserae grain and oil and I almost hit her with a rock. She was so angry with me that she dragged me back to the Seam by my hair." He chuckled at the memory, staring up at the sky. "She kept me out of trouble then and she's been doing it ever since."

"You threw rocks at the Justice Building?" Gale's eyes were wide. He had always heard stories from his mother about how much trouble his father was growing up, but Gale had never understood how much of a handful the man had been in his teens.

"Yes - and don't you get any ideas about it!" Marcus snapped, mumbling, "Your mother would kill me." He coughed and grabbed his son by the shoulder. "Look, life in the Seam is hard. It isn't easy and it isn't fair, but that doesn't have to be everything to life. You're like me - too much like me sometimes. You see the injustice and it makes you want to fight. Not everyone is like that. But if you are smart you can make a life for yourself outside the Capitol's rules. Hunting is illegal, but we do it anyways because we sell our goods to the right people and we are careful. It's a small rebellion, but it still is one. I don't want you to ever stop fighting them, but I want you to think about how you do it."

"Like only talking about the Capitol where they can't hear us." Gale mumbled, looking at his father with new admiration. He was a rebel, a fighter, and he saw the same in Gale. Pride flared in his chest and Gale was pretty confident that it was never going to go away.

"Exactly." Marcus said, then he smirked and leaned towards his son conspiratorially. "Did you know the Solstice celebration originally was an act of rebellion?"

Gale shook his head.

"Years ago, people tried to fight back. To break their spirits the Capitol tried to starve them into submission and freeze the fight out of them. They didn't send any fresh food and shut off all the electricity. It was a harsh winter, but everyone - even the people from town - pooled their food to feed those who couldn't feed themselves. They made fires for light and heat to keep people alive through the long nights. Finally, the Capitol relented knowing they could to lose the whole district if they didn't. That was when tesserae started. People could get more food, but on the Capitol's terms. We don't usually talk about it during the Solstice celebration, but everyone knows and for one night we are all rebels.

"Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?" Marcus asked. Gale nodded.

"Good." Marcus said, standing up and dusting his trousers off. "We should probably get home before your mother starts to worry."

* * *

It was just after sunset when the Everdeens arrived. His father was busy finishing cleaning and cutting up the lone squirrel when John Everdeen dropped two more on the table. Marcus looked up at him with an eyebrow raised.

John shrugged. "Katniss wanted to go hunting after work, and for once Cami thought it was a good idea, so who was I to deny my girls."

The two animals had already been cleaned, leaving little work for Marcus. "You must have found these quickly if you had time to hunt after the half day."

"Katniss is becoming very good at flushing out game." John said with a smile. "We even got some more for tomorrow's get together."

Gale came over, taking the extra hunting knife and set about skinning the game. "I bet you can get game faster since you don't have to wait on snares."

John nodded. "True, since I have my bow, but it is a lot harder since there's a higher risk of failure. Sometimes I come back with nothing to show for it."

"Still..." Gale said, a hint of wistfulness in his tone. He wanted to learn how to shoot. The largest game they ever brought back were things that Gale and Katniss corralled for John to shot. It was how they got duck, geese and even a fox once, whose pelt sold for good coin. If they had more bows then it would be possible to hunt even larger game, maybe even venison, but weapons were illegal in the Districts so it wasn't like Gale could just go out and buy one. John Everdeen's bow was the only one Gale had ever seen and that had been made by John's father.

It still didn't change the fact that Gale _really_ wanted to learn how to shoot.

John smiled at Gale. "You're right though, on good days it does really make things go faster. More shooters would also increase our chances."

Gale's eyes went wide, and for a second his hand slipped, pushing the blade through the squirrel pelt and into the wood of the cutting board.

"Careful Gale." Marcus admonished, causing his son to look sheepish. He looked up at John Everdeen. "You too John. Don't get his hopes up if you don't mean it."

John held his hands up in a placating manner. "Do you really think I'd do that?" He asked, his tone dripping with amusement. "Katniss!" He called. She sauntered in, a big smirk on her face carrying a tall, single wood shaft - carved so that the ends bowed slightly forward from a center point and then backwards. It was a good ten inches taller than the small girl and made of a dark wood. Gale's eyes widened and he dropped the knife.

"Is that for me?" He asked.

"No, it's for me." Katniss said, rolling her eyes. "Of course it is."

Wiping his hands on his pants, Gale took the unstrung bow from Katniss. It was as tall as he was and up close he could see the details in the carving, from the smooth neck to the flat grip that was wrapped in leather with a smooth arrow rest just above it.

"John," Hazelle said looking at her son, who held the bow with a gentle reverence, then back at the smiling Everdeens. "This is too much."

He waved her off. "Nonsense. The only thing that it cost was time. Besides, with Gale and Katniss shooting we'll have more food for everyone." He lowered his voice. "I know how difficult it's been this winter for your family."

She sighed and shot him a small smile. "That's the problem with three growing boys."

"Or just being Seam." He said, looking back over at Gale and Katniss. He was holding out the bow as best he could and imitating the motions that he had seen John do a thousand times. Draw and release. Katniss was already moving his feet and shoulders into better positions which made John laugh.

"When can I start lessons?" Gale said, his eyes alight with excitement.

"Once I'm done with Katniss' bow. We'll practice over the winter and come spring you two should be ready for real game." John said.

"You're getting one too?" Gale asked and Katniss nodded back, just as happy as he was.

"It's a lot smaller, but Dad said he'll make me a real one once I'm bigger."

Gale smirked, holding his hand above her head. "Are you going to get any bigger?" That earned him a punch and he clutched his gut while laughing. It was to worth it.

"I bet I'll outgrow you." She snapped.

"Better just give me the necklace now since that will never happen." He frowned for a moment, noticing for the first time that the crystal was conspicuously absent from her neck. "Where is it?"

She blushed ever so slightly and turned, pulling a small package out from her back pocket. She handed him the bundle, mumbling something he couldn't make out. The cloth parcel was tied together at the top with the leather string of the necklace and it still had the small purple crystal hanging from the end.

"More?" He asked. His mother was right. This was too much. What little money that his father brought in usually went towards the necessities - food, clothing and oil. This was true for most people in the Seam, so the sharing of resources was often more of a trade since no one could really afford to give anything away for free. The exception to the unspoken rule seemed to be Camille Everdeen and her free medical treatment - apparently that generous philosophy extended to the rest of her family.

"This one is from me and only because you'll need it." Katniss said. "And the crystal is just because you survived another year. That's pretty impressive here, so I figured you earned it."

Gale shook his head. Of course Katniss would rationalize the whole experience. Pulling the loose knot on the leather, the cloth opened and he frowned, not knowing what it was. "Err, thanks?"

Sighing, she pulled his right hand towards her, hooking the leather band around his wrist and placing the attached caps on his first three fingers. "It's a shooting glove. Dad has one to keep his hands from bleeding during long hunts."

He looked down at the soft, supple leather and back up at Katniss. "Did you make this?"

She blushed more, the tips of her ears turning red. John laughed. "She did. Wouldn't let anyone else help her. She caught the rabbit, prepped and tanned the leather herself."

"Catnip..." Gale said, looking over glove. He could tell it was handmade - the leather was well worked but the stitching was uneven. It made him smile. He could easily see her sitting over the glove, agonizing over every detail and fumbling horribly with the needle and thread. Just the thought that she had gone through all the trouble for him made his heart swell. Impulsively he reached over and hugged her.

She squeaked and tensed in his arms, but after a moment she awkwardly returned the embrace. They had grown closer in the last two years but most of their physical contact was challenging in nature: punches, kicks, and the occasional wrestling match when trying to scramble up a tree. This was entirely new for both of them, but it felt more comfortable the longer he held on.

"Thanks." Gale said as he released her.

Katniss nodded, her face thoughtful. "We're friends. That's what they do right?"

"Yeah. That's what they do."

"Good." She said. "Now you'll have no excuse when I beat you."

Gale sputtered. "Excuse me?"

"Archery. You aren't allowed to whine when I'm better at it." Her voice was strong and her words matter of fact - daring him, challenging him, forcing him to keep up with her. Sometimes he forgot that she was two years younger than him.

Gale snorted. "Not happening."

Katniss didn't say anything, she just smiled at him and he couldn't wait for their lessons to begin.

* * *

The sun was just peaking through the window. The world was still grey, bland, and cold; and if she hadn't been shocked awake, Katniss would have still gladly been sleeping.

"Katniss! Wake up!" Prim hissed in the dark, shaking her furiously. Her messy braids swung as she used her whole body to force her sister into the waking world.

"Prim." Katniss groaned, shoving the pillow over her face and trying to ignore the younger girl. "Let me sleep!"

"But it's the Solstice Katniss!" She climbed over Katniss - pointy knees and elbows digging painfully into soft flesh as she scrambled to their small window. It faced east making it hard to sleep in most of the year. "The only day that the lights never turn off."

Katniss peaked out from under her pillow see Prim standing on their small bed trying to see the sun over the blackened Seam roofs. Lately Prim had become scared of the dark - and Katniss blamed Rory for it, or more specifically, Gale. Rory had been bugging Gale for a story and the idiot told him about a monster that lived in the shadows and kidnaped children by dragged them into the mines. The story ended with a brave miner that saved everyone and killed the monster but Prim hadn't stuck around for _that_ part of the story. She had run off, dove under the covers and refused to come out for almost an hour.

There were many nights now that she clung to Katniss in the dark, making her promise to keep all the monsters at bay. If Katniss could, she would have left a light on but most days they didn't have electricity let alone extra candles to burn. Today was different though, today was the Winter Solstice. There was going to be light flooding the entire district and not one house would be dark.

"Do you want to watch the sunrise?" Katniss asked and Prim turned to her with a big smile. She took that as a 'yes'. Slipping out of bed she dressed in her warmest clothes and then help Prim into hers. She buttoned up the wool jacket with a smile - the small red coat looked much better on Prim than it ever had on her, but Katniss was sure that was the case for most things.

People called her mother an angel because she was so beautiful and had such a kind heart. If that was the case than Prim had to be too. Prim was the sweetest, kindest, prettiest little girl in the whole district and Katniss wouldn't hear any differently. Luckily no one tried to debate the fact with her since everyone agreed. She was much more suited to pretty red jackets and ribbons than Katniss, and she was more than happy to let Prim have them. The last time her mother had tried to put a ribbon in Katniss' hair it had gotten caught on the fence around the district and ripped. She stopped trying after that and both were happier for it.

As quietly as they could the two girls slipped from their room, but before they got too far Prim ran back in and dove under the bed. She rummaged around for a moment and then came out with a tiny box. It was wooden, something their father had carved for them a few years ago and it held their most precious trinkets: some of their best ribbons, a carved locket from their father, and a small pressed primrose.

Prim dumped everything on their bed, but before Katniss could ask why they were stopped by a stern whisper.

"And just where do you think you two girls are going?"

They turned to see their mother, clutching her heavy winter robe tightly around her nightgown. She was standing by the kettle, warming some type of tea.

"To watch the sunrise." Prim said. Then she added softly. "I want to catch some light for later since we'll have so much today."

The two older Everdeens looked at each other for a moment. Katniss shrugged, having heard as much as her mother on the subject. Camille wiped her hands on her robe and turned off the stove. She knelt down in front of her youngest and smiled sweetly. "Prim dear, who told you you could catch the sun in a box?"

"Daddy." She said, looking slightly embarrassed as she turned the box in her small hands. She looked both hopeful and embarrassed at the revelation. "He said it only works at dawn, and since he doesn't see the sun anymore, I thought he would like some with him in the mines."

Camille leaned forward and kissed her on the head. "That's very nice of you Prim, I know the perfect spot that get a lot of light. We'll go catch some and come straight back before your father wakes up. That way it'll be a surprise and you can give him the box as a Solstice present."

Prim smiled brightly, shifting from one foot to the other in excitement as their mother left to get dressed. Prim had told Katniss once that she did it because she couldn't keep in all her happy feelings. Katniss, being the amazing big sister she was, said it was very good that she got rid of all the energy since keeping it in could make her explode. Prim had started at her with wide eyes, bright with fear and trust that her sister would never lie to her and had started dancing immediately. She had danced all the way to bed that night, convinced that she had to get rid of all her happy feelings so that she wouldn't blow up during the night.

Dressed and ready to go, the three girls left the house and made their way through the empty streets. Prim hung on tightly to their mother's hand, swinging it back and forth between them. It was such a sweet picture - full of innocence and good feelings - that Katniss couldn't help but want to be a part of it too. She reached out and took her mother's free hand, surprising the woman and Katniss too. As she had grown older she had stopped touching her parents as much. It didn't seem as necessary any more, but she found as she walked with her mother's warm hand in hers that she had missed it.

They walked through the Seam, weaving through rows of houses and along the muddy streets behind them. They were chasing the sun as it rose, even running at Prim's insistence so they didn't miss daybreak. With an excited squeal they burst into the Meadow. From here there was nothing standing in the way of the sun as it peaked up over the trees.

"It's so pretty!" Prim exclaimed happily. Katniss snorted softly earning a small pinch from her mother. The grass was brown and dead right now and the trees were barren, but Katniss realized that it was the first time that Prim had been to the Meadow. She looked out past the fence and stared at all the trees and rolling hills with nothing - no buildings, no roads, no people - for miles.

"You should see it in the spring." Katniss said and Prim turned to her with wide eyes.

"Really?"

"Yep. There's flowers and green grass as far as you can see."

She pulled on her mother's hand. "Can we come back later?"

Camille smiled. "Of course we can. I'll even teach you how to make a flower crown filled with primroses. But right now," Camille said, scooping up the small girl in her arms, "You need to catch the sun before it becomes too bright."

Prim fumbled with the box and wiggled in her mother's arms trying to get it high enough. She pushed the open box to the very tip of her outstretched fingers, dropping it as almost as soon as it reached the soft rays of sunlight.

"Did I get it?" She asked, staring at the box.

Katniss picked it up, rubbing her hands over the wood. "I think you did. See, it feels warm."

Prim reached out a hand and placed it on the lid. "It is!" She squeezed her mother happily before squirming out of her grasp. "How long do you think it will stay there?"

"Long enough, but don't open the lid." Camille said, ruffling the young girl's hair. "Now we better hurry home before your father wakes up."

Prim nodded enthusiastically, clutching the closed box tightly to her chest the entire walk home.

* * *

Traditionally, most families spent the Solstice in their own homes spending time with their loved ones and preparing for sunset. In Katniss' house that meant eating a sparse breakfast and then preparing the hearth. Her father would clean it in preparation for their fire - scrubbing it clean of ash and debris so it was ready for Solstice. During the holiday a fire was always lit at right as sunset and kept burning straight through until dawn. It was bad luck if it went out before sunrise.

After the cleaning was done the cooking got started. Even her father, who was notoriously bad at making anything more complicated than a roast helped out. He was delegated to helping Prim chop vegetables. Katniss was busy grinding the tough grain into the finest powder they could when there was a knock at the door.

With a whisper from their father the small girl was up and opening the door. In walked Marcus and Gale, the later of which was loaded down with an armful of wood. "Hello Prim, are you enjoying the Solstice?"

"Yes." She chirped happily. "Daddy is teaching me how to peel katniss roots."

"Really? And what are you going to be using those for?"

"For the dumplings! We have katniss roots, collard greens and rabbit for the filling."

Marcus laughed. "Those sound delicious. I can't wait to try them."

Dumplings were the traditional food of the holiday. Their grain wasn't good for much, but once soaked and boiled it turned gelatinous and could be formed into small, chewy dumplings stuffed with a variety of fillings. Katniss' family always made them with savory fillings, but some of the more well off merchants made theirs sweet by adding a bit of sugar.

"And," Prim continued happily, "We are going to have an herbal tea for people to drink."

People would make dumplings by the plate to handout to friends and families after sunset. They were traditionally eaten with some type of soup. Depending on how well the winter's been this could be anything from a thin broth to a hearty stew.

"Tea?" Marcus asked, looking over table to see the large piles of dried plants that Camille was preparing.

"There has been a flu going around, and since everyone is going to be out in the cold tonight, I thought a medicinal tea would be good." Camille said as Gale tried to hide his frown.

"Don't worry, this one tastes good." Katniss said, seeing his face. Most of her mother's teas were bitter and hard to get down, but tonight she was making one of Katniss' favorites. It was common to have in their household, since it was impossible to help sick people when the healer was sick themselves. There was dried elderberries and elderflower to help boost the immune system, lemon verbena to help fight off current infections, rose hip for added nutrients and peppermint to give it a smooth finish.

"I'm sure it does. Make sure you keep a few cups for us." Marcus laughed and turned to the hearth. "Are we your first this year?"

"Yep." John said, wiping his hands on a small towel. "We haven't made our rounds yet, but let me get you a log from out back."

Since all the logs for the hearth was supposed to be given to you on the Solstice, her father had a small store that he kept just for gifts. It was his best wood: cherry that had been seasoning for at least two years. It burned slowly and made the whole house smell like the forest. Katniss loved it whenever he put a log onto their fire, but that was only on special occasions.

"Thanks." Marcus said. "Can I go ahead and throw this one in the fireplace?"

"Please do." Camille said.

* * *

Over the next few hours people came and went from the Everdeen's small house. Their fireplace was overly stocked and after a while, they had to politely turn away people. Camille's generous healing made her popular among the Seam and it was reflected in their growing pile of wood. As the sun started to set, people returned to their homes to light their own fires, but Katniss knew they would be back soon. Once the fire had been lit and candles were placed, all the doors would be thrown open and the people would take to the streets to visit with friends and family.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Katniss' father asked her, passing her a the flint and the small wood saved from last year's fire. It had been kept on the mantle all year as a good luck token, and so far had worked its charms well. Now it was time to burn up all of last year's luck and pass it on to the new year.

Lighting the fire was simple for her after all the practice she had out in the woods and the fire was quickly ablaze. They started with the large log that Marcus had brought over. It was, very appropriately, wood from a hawthorn tree. It would burn long and hot, warming the house.

John smiled at his daughter, scooping up Prim and sitting them both down by the fire. "Should we get the candles going?"

Prim nodded enthusiastically, bouncing even as she obediently sat. They had a set of 12 that they kept just for the Solstice - large white candles that would be set in every window, the kitchen, small washroom, and two out front to help line the street. In addition there would be four smaller candles that were to be kept on the table. Unlike the large ones that lasted a few years these burnt quickly and carried wishes with them.

From the top of the kitchen cupboard John pulled out a small package, wrapped in heavy white fabric. It had the four candles, tall and brightly colored smelling of pine and sandalwood. Katniss inhaled deeply. This was the smell of the Solstice. The scented candles were more expensive and the colors even more so, but her father always saved up for the small treat.

He handed the forest green one to Katniss and the blue one to Prim.

"It's the color of my eyes!" Prim said excitedly.

"That's why I picked it for you!" John laughed. His laughter soon petered out as Prim crawled towards the fireplace. Wishing was always done in silence, because wishes were supposed to be kept close to the heart. Prim lit her candle, squeezed her eyes shut and wished as hard as she could and put the candle on their table. She smiled brightly turning to her sister with a nod.

Katniss looked down at the candle in her hand and wondered what she should wish for. A good spring with lots of game? Another year where her father came home from the mines everyday? Less injuries around the Seam so her mother wasn't so busy? They were all good wishes, but her mind honed in on one as soon as the thought occured.

 _Please_ , she wished silently as she lit the small candle. _Please don't let Gale be reaped._

With the doors of the houses opened and the streets lined with candles, the whole Seam was alight with life and laughter. Kids ran from house to house trying all the food they could get their hands on and some brandished small gifts from their families.

Katniss and Prim walked the streets of the Seam with their mother - greeting friends and accepting dumplings and soups. This year there was a good variety with Katniss' favorite being the one filled with a sweet nut paste that Ripper had given her. She had been so surprised by the the slight candy flavor that she had eaten the whole thing in two bites. Her and Prim were still sipping on Greasy Sae's thin broth when they spotted all three of the Hawthorne boys.

"Catnip!" Gale shouted, waving at her with his free hand. Vick was clutched protectively against against his side even as the toddler desperately tried to wriggle free.

"Gale!" Katniss replied as they walked over to the trio. Prim and Rory immediately began talking about food: who had the best dumpling, where to find the tastiest soup, and who's house to avoid unless completely necessary.

Katniss smiled. "Sounds like you guys have already had a busy night."

Rory nodded enthusiastically. "We are going to Town now. Want to come?"

Katniss glanced back at her mother who was finally catching up with them. Camille smiled at her reaching out to take her hand. She pressed a small coin into her daughter's palm. "Have fun and don't get into trouble."

Katniss clutched the money to her chest tightly. "We will."

* * *

The town square was the center of the entire Solstice celebration. All of the merchants set up tables in front of their filled with selections of their wears. Like the Seam they had plates of dumplings to share but they substituted the thick, nutritious soups with delicious drinks - some of which were laced with Ripper's white liquor and definitely not for children. Katniss had snuck a few sips from her father's cup in years past and decided that she didn't mind not being allowed those particular brews. They burned on the way down and made her head feel fuzzy.

In the center of the square was a bonfire. Everyone added a piece of wood and like their fires back home, it would burn all night long. It was always eye catching, and this year wasn't any different.

"Wow," Gale breathed, watching as the flames rose. They were easily taller than any of the buildings in the Seam, reaching almost to the tops of the Merchant houses that surrounded the square. The fire was so bright and warm that Katniss felt the urge to take off her winter jacket.

"Yeah." She echoed. She knew that the two of them would be content to stand there and just watch the fire, but their siblings had other ideas.

"Let's go to the bakery!" Rory said, pulling Gale forward. "I bet Mr. Mellark will have something good!"

They walked around the square, taking in all the colors and smells - citrus, pine and spices - and Katniss couldn't help but notice that while this was a festival for sharing, there was still a very noticeable absence of Seam folk. There were a few families, but they mostly stayed close to the fire and away from the tables selling fine wares. The only ones that seemed brave enough were young children who pulled parents too and fro - too innocent to notice some of the darker looks from the older generation.

"So much for unity." Gale mumbled as they passed by the apothecary table. Ash Locke, glared at the Seam children and Katniss instinctively put herself between the glaring man and Prim. He was her grandfather by blood and absolutely nothing else. Katniss had never talked to the man, but she knew that he was well respected in town and that his opinion mattered. It was hard to miss when people refused to even look at her, let alone trade with her, when the man was around. She didn't want Prim to have to live with that stigma _ever_.

Reed - her mother's younger brother - glanced their way curiously, his eyes tracking over Gale and Vick before settling on Katniss with a frown. It wasn't the same hate-filled glare that his father gave them, but the mix of regret and resentment set Katniss on edge. Reed had taken over as the heir to the Locke's apothecary after her mother ran off to the Seam. Camille had been one of the best apothecary's this town has seen in four generations, and if the whispers were true, Reed's skills were far below her standards.

"Come on." Gale said, pulling on Rory impatiently as he tried to pause and stop at the butcher's table. It was only a few down from the apothecary's stand and Katniss could still feel Reed's stare on her, like an itch between her shoulder blades that she couldn't quite scratch.

"Didn't you want to go to Mellark's table?"

Rory, who had a protest on his lips perked up, darting ahead of the group. Prim followed shortly after and the two ran ahead. Glancing backwards, Katniss saw Reed's eyes watching Prim and she frowned. Prim had no idea who those two were and Katniss wanted to keep it that way.

A warm hand slipped into hers, startling her. She looked down at his large hand, almost engulfing hers, and then back up at Gale.

"Don't worry about them Catnip." He said, his eyes serious. "They aren't worth your time." He squeezed her hand softly and she felt a rush of strength. It was just like this morning when she reached for her mother's hand - solid and reassuring.

She nodded and he dropped her hand. "Think Mellark will give us anything?" She asked, sliding her hand into her pocket before the lingering warmth could dissipate.

"With you there, I bet he'll give us a whole plate of cookies." Gale said, shifting Vick in his arms. The boy grunted lazily and burrowed deeper into his brother's arms which made Katniss smile.

"Bet I can get more than you." She said, happy when Gale returned her smirk. His grey eyes were bright in the light of the fire and his step quickened ever so slightly. He was alive and brimming with the joy of the night and she was determined to be too.

Gale was right - people like her grandfather weren't worth her time, people like Gale and Rory and Prim were.

* * *

Gale sat by the bonfire. The warmth and the day's adventures had lulled the children into a light slumber even as the square bustled around them. Prim and Rory were curled up on his left and Vick was passed out on his shoulder. He knew he should wake them and take them home, but he wasn't quite ready to end the day yet.

"It's been a good day." Katniss said, staring at the flames. She had a soft smile on his face and her body was completely relaxed. Gale wondered if the baker hadn't spiked their cider with something other than cinnamon and clove.

"It has." Gale said.

"There's only one thing left to do and it'll have been a perfect Solstice."

Gale frowned. They had eaten a massive amount of food - so much that his stomach actually hurt from being too full - made wishes and burned them. He had never seen his little brothers smile as much as they had tonight. What was there left to do?

Katniss noticed his confusion and pulled out a small orange from her pocket. "My father gives Prim and I one every year for Solstice. I want to share it with you."

He blinked as she started to peel the orange globe. "You don't have to."

Katniss rolled her eyes at him. "I want to."

She handed half to him and even though his stomach was filled to the brim, the sharp smell citrus made his mouth water. "Thanks." Was all he could manage.

The orange was flavorful and juicy, bursting as it crushed between his teeth. With three children, his family didn't have much extra money and what little they had went towards food for the festival. He had seen oranges - the market was filled with them as well as lemons and limes - but he never had the money to try one before. It was sour and sweet on his tongue, like the cookie she had shared with him at the baker's so long ago.

Just like then, the treat seemed like so much more. "I'll buy the orange next year." Gale said, chewing on the last bit of the fruit.

Katniss looked over at him. "You don't have to."

"I want to." He said and Katniss smiled at him.

* * *

Spring seemed to come quickly and leave just as fast. Before anyone could blink it was Reaping Day. Katniss frowned looking up at the sky. Even though it was just after dawn the sun seemed too bright and the temperature too high. She fidgeted with the fletching of an arrow, running her fingers down the feathers and back again.

"What's wrong Katniss?" Her father said, pulling out a small pot of jam, their last from last summer's berry harvest, and a small pot of butter. They had no bread, but the Hawthornes had promised to bring some with them today.

"Nothing." She mumbled, shoving the arrow back into her quiver opting instead to pace. She walked back in forth in the tall grass, wearing a path through the small meadow.

Her father sighed. "Clearly."

A twig snapped in the woods and the two turned towards it sharply, Katniss already reaching for one of her arrows just like her father had taught her.

"Woah there!" Marcus said, emerging from the tree line with his hands held up. "It's just us."

Katniss sighed and put the arrow away. "You're late." She said, not even trying to keep the growl from her tone.

Marcus shot John a glance but he only shrugged. "Nerves." He said and it earned him a glare from his daughter but he only pulled her down to sit next to him. "The only reason we've been waiting around is because you wanted to get here early."

"It's _Reaping Day_." She grumbles. "We need to make sure we get enough today because we don't know when we'll get back out here again."

"We've never had enough problems with food before and we won't this year either. Now eat your breakfast before you bite someone's head off."

She opens her mouth to respond, but shuts it again and crosses her arms defiantly. Within seconds her leg starts twitching and she's standing again. Her father was right, she knew that, but this year wasn't like all the years before. This year she knew someone in the Reaping and it wasn't just anyone it was _Gale_.

Her eyes flickered over to him, almost disgusted at his supposed nonchalance. He showed no outward signs of being nervous and she envied him for that. Her dreams had been filled with nothing but the image of his name being called by their newest escort - Effie Trinket. Their last Capitol representative had nothing on her, clearly ready to move on from the poor district the second he arrived, but Effie was something else. Katniss couldn't tell what was bigger: her enthusiasm or her hair.

When she passed by the small group of men again Gale dragged her down and shoved a piece of bread in her hands, already smothered in butter and jam, before she could protest. "If you want to get to work faster than eat up. Otherwise we're going to be waiting around here all day for you to stop pacing."

"You eat it." She said, handing it back to him. "I'm not hungry."

It was true, her stomach was in such tight knots that she didn't think she could fit anything in it.

Gale's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed just so, like he was planning a new snare. She was the problem and he was trying to find a solution and she didn't really like it. Katniss fidgeted under his gaze but refused to give in. Finally he sighed and ate the bread letting her off the hook.

"You know Catnip, there's almost no chance that I could be chosen today, right?" He says the words carefully, but they are the wrong ones and she's up and wandering off. She doesn't want to think about it, let alone talk about it. One of the things that she enjoyed so much about her friendship with Gale was that they didn't have to talk about things. He just seemed to get her and that was nice since no one else besides her family seemed too.

"He's right Katniss." Marcus said, standing. "There are thousands of strips in the bowl. He only has two. There's no way that-"

"Two?" She says stopping and turning back to them. Her eyes fix on Gale who is now refusing to look at her. "You told me you had one."

"I took out tesserae." Gale said. Katniss walks back to the group, standing over Gale with a fierce glare on her face.

"When?"

"January. We needed the extra grain."

Her small fists bombard him as she falls to her knees. "Why didn't you tell me?" She hisses and keeps hitting him and he lets her.

"Marcus..." John says, looking over at the other man with a pitying gaze.

"Things were tight and Gale volunteered. Hazelle and I didn't want him to, but he was stubborn. Skipped school and went to the Justice Building without us knowing." Marcus said and gave John a weak smile. "I have no idea where he gets it from."

"You told me you were sick." Katniss growled and Gale finally stops her, sitting taller.

"I knew you would worry. But I don't regret it." Gale said.

He held her hands close to his chest and Katniss' head falls, her eyes filling with tears that she refuses to let fall. "You should." She whispered. "By the time that you're eighteen that will be..." She does the math in her head, "14 strips. That's a lot."

Gale shrugged. "There are people with more."

"So? It only takes one."

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to be fine. Just you watch."

* * *

They manage to have a good morning of hunting. Gale and Katniss shoot a squirrel each and they find three rabbits and a raccoon in the snare line. With the extra Peacekeeper presence for the Games they decide to keep all the meat instead of trying to sell it.

After their talk this morning Katniss had been quiet and Gale was still worried about her. He was just as nervous for today, but he was so surprised that Katniss was taking it so hard. Most of the time she was hardly fazed by anything, but the thought of him in the arena had shaken her and he hated it.

As they left to get ready Gale paused and pulled Katniss off to the side. "Here." He said, taking off the crystal necklace. He had it for the last two weeks after beating Katniss at archery. He was stronger than her, so he could make more kills, but she was more accurate and he knew in a couple of years he was never going to get that crystal back.

She frowned, looking at it in confusion. "I didn't win this."

"I know. I'm only loaning it to you, for luck."

She holds it back out to him. "Then you should keep it."

Gale shook his head and pushed her hands back to her chest. "I think you'll need it more than me. Besides," He put on his best cocky grin, "It's not like I'm giving it to you for free."

"What do you want?"

"I'll tell you tonight, after I get through the Reaping."

Katniss twisted the necklace in her hand before sliding it over her head. "Alright, but it better not be your homework. You know I hate math."

Gale grinned. "Don't worry, I've got something better planned."

She looked at him warily, but Gale knew that she had already agreed. He didn't really have anything he wanted from her, but the idea that he had would keep her mind off the Reaping, at least for a little while.

* * *

Katniss' whole body was wound tight. It seemed like every muscle in her body was seizing as she listened to Mayor Undersee read the Treaty of Treason. From here she couldn't see Gale - she had tried but there were too many bodies in the way - so she resigned herself to clutching the crystal necklace in one hand and keeping a death grip on her father's with the other.

Effie Trinket took the stage, giving a small speech in her lilting, bubbly Capitol accent. Something about the honor of the Games, but Katniss wasn't listening. She was just willing the woman to get on with it.

"Ladies first." The pink woman said, her steps to the glass bowl stunted by her overly high heels and tight skirt. She drew the name of a girl, no one Katniss knew and she watched at the poor girl, on the verge of tears walked up to the stage.

At 10 Katniss was old enough to understand exactly what the Games were - a death sentence. In the last 68 years District 12 only had two victors: Haymitch Abernathy, the local drunk who stood on the stage swaying slightly, and Marissa May, who had died long before Katniss had been born. That was it. Two in 68 years. The wealthy districts had five or six - District Two had eight victors - but twelve always supplied the smallest, scrawniest tributes and they always died quickly.

"And now for the boys." Effie said and Katniss' hand tightened around her father's. She felt him give a reassuring squeeze back but it didn't help. Her heart hammered in her chest and Katniss was worried that it would slam right out of her chest. Time stretched on but Effie's manicured fingers finally picked a name.

"Thomas Rowan."

Relief swept over her which was quickly replaced with guilt as she heard someone cry out, supposedly his mother. Gale was only safe because someone else had the misfortune of going into the arena.

Katniss knew that in two years she would be up there, adding her name to the pot and then a few years after that Prim's name would be in there too, along with Rory's and then Vick's. This feeling - this gut wrenching horror - was never going to end.

Katniss didn't know if she would survive it.

* * *

The first thing Gale did when he got back to the house was change out of his Reaping clothes. They were the only things he owned that weren't dirty or patched up and that was only because they were worn once a year. He would have liked wearing them - especially since he hadn't owned anything this nice before - but knowing _why_ he was so dressed up made him want to throw the clothes into the trash and burn them.

His hands shook as he unbuttoned the collared shirt. He hadn't wanted to worry anyone, but he had been scared. His heart had almost stopped when Effie Trinket had reached into that bowl. Instinctively he had looked back towards where he knew his family was, but he hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of them.

Then it had ended and he was able to breath for another year, but the threat would always be there, lingering over his head. Gale wiped his hands on his pants, willing his body to cooperate. The Everdeens were in the living room and he had seen Katniss - felt her shaking as much as he had been when she had launched herself at him after the ceremony. He knew that he needed to be strong for her right now; and for his younger siblings who didn't really understand what had happened. If he could, he would shield them from it all but the Capitol made sure that was impossible.

He thought he had understood his father that day in the woods, when he poured out his dreams and wishes. The bitter edge to his voice, the rage bottled in his words, but Gale hadn't understood, not really. He had known what it meant to be of Reaping age, but he hadn't felt the weight of the chain the Capitol used to hold down it's citizens. This was how it started. They fostered fear in the Districts by starting them young. He knew he would never forget this feeling and he would relive it every year with ever decreasing chances that he would escape fate.

"Gale?" Came the soft question from the other side.

"Coming." He called back. Dressed once again in his hunting clothes Gale felt better. He glanced back at the small pile of clothing on his floor, knowing that he should pick them up, instead he swept them under his bed with his foot. Let them stay there for the rest of the year. It was where they belong anyways.

* * *

Dinner had been delicious. The two families had pooled their resources to make a bigger than normal fare, cooking up all three of the rabbits to make the stew more filling. Full stomachs made everyone happy and made it easier to forget the horrors of the day, at least until the mandatory viewing started.

Prim and Rory sat on the floor at the feet of their parents and Katniss stood off to the side. There was room on the floor, but she didn't really want to be in the middle of everything. She knew from last year that Prim and Rory were going to be a bundle of questions and she had no desire to answer them.

"You alright Catnip?" Gale asked, choosing to stand with her instead of sitting with his siblings.

"Fine. _I_ didn't have my name in the Reaping bowl. _Twice_."

Gale rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. "You weren't supposed to find out about that."

She dropped her arms, her mouth falling open as she stared at him. _Wasn't supposed to find out_. He had planned to hide this from her and that frankly hurt. She had never been anything but open with him and she had thought he had been the same way. She curled her arms around herself, shifting away from him.

"Katniss..." He said, struggling to find the right words.

"You _lied_ to me Gale."

"Because I knew you'd be worried and you were. I didn't mean to hurt you Katniss."

"Well, you did." She snapped, moving to the other side of the couch. If there weren't Peacekeepers patrolling the streets right now, making sure that everyone was staying in their homes and watching the broadcast, she would have left. She didn't want to be around him right now.

* * *

"Is she home?" Gale asked, as he put Vick down on the floor of the Everdeen's living room. Rory was already there, talking with Prim excitedly about the frog he found outside the school.

Camille smiled sadly at him. "She tried to leave as soon she saw Rory running down the road. I made her stay. She is _supposed_ to be in the backyard, but your bet is as good as mine if she's still there."

Gale nodded and moved towards the back. Peaking out the back window he was glad to see the small brunette sitting on the steps. She was sporting two twin braids today, messily done with a few dandelions barely managing to stay in the loose locks. Gale didn't have to be genius to recognize Prim's handy work.

It had been two days since Katniss had last spoken with him. Since then she had been avoiding him to the point of ignoring him when he was in the room. He had tried talking to her, but she wouldn't even look at him.

He opened the door quietly and reached for one of the flowers. "I'm surprised there are still flowers in the Meadow. It looks like Prim put them all in your hair."

Katniss spun around, surprised and angry. She saw the flower in his hand and swiped at it. Gale held it above his head, horribly out of reach of her short arms. "If you want it back all you have to do is talk to me."

She glared and turned back around, refusing both to acknowledge him and to move. Gale sighed. If she was going to be that way then so was he. He sat down so that they were back to back and with a loud, overly dramatic huff he fell backwards, putting his not-so-insignificant weight (at least compared to her tiny ten-year-old self) on to her completely. Katniss let out an indignant squeak as she fell forward, crumpling over her knees and Gale readjusted himself so that she couldn't get up.

"Gale..." She growled in a warning.

"She speaks!" He said, smirking. "I was beginning to think she had lost her voice."

Katniss wiggled, trying to push him off of her but couldn't find the leverage. "Get off!"

"Nope." Gale smirked. "Not until you talk to me."

She stubbornly stayed quiet.

"Fine." Gale sighed. "I'll talk then. I'm sorry. I don't know how many more ways I can say it before you believe me, but I am. I was just trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection." Katniss grumbled. "I can handle myself."

"I know, but I'm going to try anyway. I know you'd do the same for me. It's what friends do."

Katniss shifted, rolling her shoulder to the side and Gale slid off her back and smacked his head hard on the porch. He hissed, holding the back of his head as he waited for the pain to subside. When he opened his eyes again he saw Katniss looking down at him annoyed - but she was still there and that meant something.

"I wouldn't lie to do it though." She leaned forward do that his whole viewed was filled with her face. "Don't do it again."

Gale smiled, a weight coming off his chest. "I promise. No more lying. Not even if I hurt your delicate sensibilities."

She sat up straighter and glared at him "Delicate?"

He reached up and grabbed another dandelion from her hair. "Like a flower."

Her eyes widened and she stood up. "Take that back right now Hawthorne!" She snapped, but he could see the way her lips curled ever so slightly. There was no real anger in her eyes, just amusement and Gale knew that they would be alright.

"I can't. You told me not to lie."

She pounced on him, trying and failing to pin him to the ground. Their laughter rang out over the yard and Gale was happy. For a while there he was convinced he was never going to hear her laugh again.


End file.
